Where Americans Stand on Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine: Long Island University Hornstein Center National Poll

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Brookville, NY, (May 2, 2022): Results of a newly released Long Island University Steven S. Hornstein Center for Policy, Polling and Analysis national poll reveal where Americans stand on the threat of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as the war enters its third month.  55% of respondents said that the conflict poses a threat to the United States, and 73% said it is a threat to the neighboring NATO countries in Europe.

PDF Format – Includes sample and methodology detail

89% OF AMERICANS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT RUSSIA’S MILITARY INVASION OF UKRAINE

Americans were asked how concerned they were about Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine. 89% of respondents said they were somewhat or very concerned.  93% of Democrats, 87% of Republicans, and 86% of Independents/Other said they were somewhat or very concerned.

WHERE AMERICANS STAND ON THE THREAT OF RUSSIA’S INVASION OF UKRAINE

Americans were asked if they believed that Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine is a threat to neighboring countries in the NATO security alliance of North America and Europe. 73% of Americans said yes. 80% of Democrats said yes. 74% of Republicans said yes. 67% of Independents/Other said yes.

Americans were asked if they believed that Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine is a threat to the United States. 55% of Americans said yes. 63% of Democrats said yes. 55% of Republicans said yes. 48% of Independents/Other said yes.

81% OF AMERICANS SAID THEY ARE FOLLOWING NEWS COVERAGE ON RUSSIA’S MILITARY INVASION OF UKRAINE

Americans were asked how closely they were following news coverage on Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine. 81% of respondents said they were somewhat or very much following news coverage.  86% of Democrats, 80% of Republicans, and 78% of Independents/Other said they were somewhat or very much following news coverage. 

11% OF AMERICANS BELIEVE THAT THE WORST OF RUSSIA’S MILITARY INVASION OF UKRAINE IS OVER

Respondents were asked if they believed the worst of Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine is over. 11% of Americans said yes.  16% of Republicans, 11% of Democrats, and 7% of Independents/Other said yes.

WHERE AMERICANS STAND ON THE POSSIBILITY OF A WORLD WAR

Respondents were asked if they believe Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will escalate to a world war.  26% of Americans said yes, 25% of Americans said no, and 49% of Americans said they were unsure or had no answer. 30% of Republicans, 29% of Democrats, and 22% of Independents/Other said yes.

9% OF AMERICANS BELIEVE THAT RUSSIA’S MILITARY INVASION OF UKRAINE IS JUSTIFIED

Respondents were asked if they believed Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine was justified.  9% of Americans said yes. 10% of Democrats, 15% of Republicans, and 5% of Independents/Other said yes.

79% OF AMERICANS BELIEVE THAT RUSSIA’S MILITARY IS TARGETING CIVILIANS

Respondents were asked if they believed Russia’s military invasion was targeting civilians.  79% of Americans said yes. 86% of Democrats, 80% of Republicans, and 73% of Independents/Other said yes.

80% OF AMERICANS BELIEVE THAT RUSSIA’S PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN HAS COMMITTED WAR CRIMES

Respondents were asked if they believed Russia’s president Vladimir Putin has committed war crimes.  80% of Americans said yes. 89% of Democrats, 79% of Republicans, and 74% of Independents/Other said yes.

71% OF AMERICANS SUPPORT U.S. MEMBERSHIP IN THE NATO SECURITY ALLIANCE OF NORTH AMERICA AND EUROPE

Respondents were asked if they support the United States’ membership in the NATO security alliance of North America and Europe. 71% of Americans said yes. 82% of Democrats, 67% of Republicans, and 63% of Independents/Other said yes.

RUSSIA’S INVASION OF UKRAINE CONDEMNED BY NATO AND THE UNITED STATES

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) formally condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The United States is a member of NATO which is a defensive alliance of 30 countries across North America and Europe protecting one billion citizens that “provides a security guarantee that an attack on one of them is an attack on all of them” according to NATO. On April 28, 2022, the White House Called on Congress to provide more support for Ukraine “to help ensure Ukraine’s democracy prevails over Putin’s aggression.” Although Ukraine is not a formal NATO member, NATO considers Ukraine an “independent, peaceful and democratic country, and a close NATO partner.”

METHODOLOGY

This Long Island University Steven S. Hornstein Center for Policy, Polling, and Analysis online poll was conducted through SurveyMonkey from April 21 – 22, 2022 among a national sample of 1,584 adults ages 18 and up. Respondents for this survey were selected from over 2.5 million people who take surveys on the SurveyMonkey platform each day. Data for this week have been weighted for age and gender using the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey to reflect the demographic composition of the United States. The modeled error estimate for this survey is plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.

ABOUT THE LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY STEVEN S. HORNSTEIN CENTER FOR POLICY, POLLING, AND ANALYSIS

The Long Island University Steven S. Hornstein Center for Policy, Polling, and Analysis conducts independent polling, empirical research, and analysis on a wide range of public issues. Our studies inform the public and policy makers about critical issues, attitudes, and trends shaping the world. Visit liu.edu/Hornstein for more information and results from this national poll. 

ABOUT LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY

Long Island University, founded in 1926, continues to redefine higher education, providing high-quality academic instruction by world-class faculty. Recognized by Forbes for its emphasis on experiential learning and by the Brookings Institution for its “value added” to student outcomes, LIU has a network of over 285,000 alumni, including industry leaders and entrepreneurs around the globe. Visit liu.edu for more information.