Poll: Plurality of Republicans Do Not Believe Ukraine Is ‘Vital’ U.S. Interest

A plurality of Republicans do not believe Ukraine is a “vital” U.S. interest, a Morning Consult survey released this week found.

The survey found that the skepticism surrounding aiding Ukraine resonates best among Republicans. Respondents were asked to identify how they feel about the U.S. supporting Ukraine’s defense against Russia through military aid and funding, and 46 percent of Republicans said it is “not a vital U.S. interest.” Another 37 percent of Republicans said it is a vital U.S. interest, and another 17 percent offered no opinion.

However, opinions differ among all respondents, as 49 percent of all voters said it is a vital U.S. interest, compared to 29 percent who said it is not.

The survey was taken March 16-17, 2023, among 2,010 registered U.S. voters and has a +/- 2 percent margin of error.

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Overall, the survey found that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R) position on Ukraine — stating that the war is not a “vital” U.S. interest” — is the most popular position among Republicans as a whole, per the survey.

Meanwhile, former President Mike Pence, a potential 2024 presidential contender, holds a different view, telling Breitbart News Saturday that “this is a moment where America needs to step up.”

“Let me be clear, what’s going on in Ukraine today is not a territorial dispute. It’s a Russian invasion,” Pence stated, seemingly responding to DeSantis describing the war as a “territorial dispute.”

“Russia attempted to redrawing or not international lines by force under the Bush administration in Georgia, under the Obama administration in Crimea, and now the Russian tanks rolled in to invade and overrun a free and democratic nation in Ukraine,” Pence said.

“This is a moment where America needs to step up and continue to step up and be the leader of the free world,” Pence continued, appealing to the Reagan Doctrine and declaring the U.S. must stand with Ukraine’s “freedom fighters” and provide them with resources to “repel the Russian invasion.”

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Volodymyr Zelensky via Storyful

“It’s clear his [Vladimir Putin’s] ambition is to reestablish what was the old Soviet sphere of influence in Eastern Europe, and that’s why we need to put our foot down,” he added.

Notably, just 33 percent of potential GOP primary voters consider Russia’s invasion of Ukraine a “very important” factor in deciding who to vote for in 2024. The economy tops the list, as 75 percent view it as a “very important” issue in helping determine their vote.