US responsibility in Ukraine

U.S. responsibility in Ukraine, public opinion through Biden's presidency and more

August 2, 2024

Get the latest Pew Research Center findings and everything you need to dive deeper into the 2024 U.S. presidential election.

A 62% majority of Republicans say the U.S. does not have a responsibility to help Ukraine defend itself from Russia’s invasion, while an almost identical share of Democrats (63%) say it does. Overall, Americans are about evenly divided: 48% say the country does have this responsibility, 49% say it does not.

• When it comes to aid for Ukraine, Democrats largely say the U.S. is providing either the right amount (36%) or not enough (27%). Just 13% say the U.S. is sending too much assistance to Ukraine.
• By contrast, nearly half of Republicans (47%) say the U.S. is providing too much aid to Ukraine, more than three times the share of Democrats who say this. Only 18% of Republicans say current aid levels are about right, while just 12% say the U.S. is providing too little assistance.
• Explore more of the wide partisan differences on U.S. responsibility and support for the war in Ukraine.

Biden’s job approval ratings have been more negative than positive since late 2021. And only about a third of Americans have approved of his performance for the last year.

• In March 2021, 53% of voters described President Joe Biden as mentally sharp. That dropped 20 percentage points over the next two years, to 33% by April 2023. And by July of this year, the share fell to 24% – following his poor showing in the June 27 debate.
• As of April 2024, nearly half of registered voters (49%) said they wanted to see both candidates replaced on the ballot, including 62% of Biden supporters who felt this way.
• Following Biden’s performance in the June 27 debate, his own supporters’ calls for him to be replaced increased. By early July, 71% of voters who backed Biden said they would prefer to see both candidates replaced on the ballot.
• Dig into more of the key public opinion dynamics around Biden’s decision.

Dive deeper

• Views on America’s global role diverge widely by age and party
• Key facts about U.S. poll workers
• Many Americans are confident that the 2024 election will be conducted fairly, but wide partisan differences remain

Most U.S. vice presidents in recent decades have sought the presidency, but relatively few have won

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This newsletter was curated by Claire Dannenbaum, assistant audience editor. Shoot us a note with your thoughts at audience@pewresearch.org.