Who in the USA Opposes Supporting Ukraine and Why: A Brief Summary of the Research
During the first year of Russia's full-scale invasion, support from the American people for weapons and funding for Ukraine was crucial to its ability to hold off and push back against Russian aggression. Millions of Americans across the political spectrum continue to support Ukraine fervently. Yet, towards the end of 2023, the U.S. government paused its financial and military assistance for six months.
Click here to visit the main page of the Texty.org.ua study on supporting Ukraine in the American political and informational environment.
In the end, Ukrainians had to defend themselves and retreat due to a lack of weaponry. In September 2023, Senators Tom Cotton and Lindsey Graham signed a letter to U.S. President Joe Biden urging him to provide Ukrainians with ATACMS missiles (with a range of 165 to 270 km, depending on the modification). In February 2024, they voted against a bill to provide aid to Ukraine, but by April, both had voted in favor of it. Such inconsistency in decisions can also be observed in other American politicians. Why do these fluctuations occur?
During the first year of Russia's full-scale invasion, support from the American people for weapons and funding for Ukraine was crucial to its ability to hold off and push back against Russian aggression. Millions of Americans across the political spectrum continue to support Ukraine fervently. Yet, towards the end of 2023, the U.S. government paused its financial and military assistance for six months.
House Speaker Mike Johnson delayed putting the relevant bills up for a vote for several months despite theoretical bipartisan support. Ultimately, the House of Representatives passed the aid package on April 20, 2024, although Donald Trump's allies worked vigorously to block it. In the end, 112 Republican members voted against the aid.
People, Communities, and Connections
The full list of entities is available here
We tried to investigate the environment that fosters this in political, media, and expert spheres. As a result, we identified a wide range of groups opposing support for Ukraine: from Trump supporters blocking bills in the U.S. Congress to pro-Russian media figure Tucker Carlson, conservative experts and commentators, left-wing activists, and communists. We also explored how they are connected and who among them collaborates with Russia. Our database includes 469 individuals and organizations, but it does not claim to be an exhaustive list of all those opposing U.S. support for Ukraine. It merely reflects the loudest voices in the public space.
Hardline conservatives justify calls to stop supporting Ukraine with an isolationist stance, claiming that the U.S. has no business in this war, that the U.S. contribution to NATO and European security is too large, and that the government should focus on domestic issues instead of global problems. Meanwhile, the left calls for peace, arguing that the West should stop military support for Ukraine to achieve it. This goal unites the left, the right, and those without a clear ideological position but who collaborate with Russians. It aligns perfectly with Russia’s objective, which cannot occupy Ukraine as long as the West provides military and financial support.
Narratives and Refutations
We also analyzed and refuted the most common arguments made by opponents of supporting Ukraine in the U.S. and found which ones align with narratives promoted by Russian propaganda worldwide. These include claims such as:
- The 2014 Revolution of Dignity was a coup supported by the U.S. government, ultimately leading to the Russia-Ukraine war.
- Russia attacked Ukraine because of NATO's eastward expansion.
- The U.S. should not help Ukraine to avoid provoking World War III.
- The Russia-Ukraine war is a local conflict that should not be globalized by supporting Ukraine and that the U.S. has no business in.
- The Russia-Ukraine war is a battle of traditional Christian values against a decaying West.
- Nazism is tolerated in Ukraine.
- American aid is being embezzled because Ukraine is entirely corrupt.
- Ukraine cannot defeat Russia and will lose on the battlefield, so there is no point in helping it.
- The U.S. should spend money on solving its citizens' problems rather than saving Ukrainians.
A Wide Spectrum of Groups
The research shows that in the U.S., a wide spectrum of groups and individuals actively oppose support for Ukraine, using narratives that echo Russian propaganda. The influence of these groups on American politics can have significant consequences for support for Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression.
