Voters split on Biden’s handling of Ukraine-Russia conflict: poll

Americans are split on President Biden’s handling of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, according to a new poll conducted by Morning Consult and Politico. 

The poll found that 40 percent of voters said they disapprove of Biden’s handling of the conflict between the two countries, while 39 percent said they approve. However, 57 percent of respondents said they support the administration’s efforts to resolve the conflict diplomatically.

The poll comes as tensions between Russia and Ukraine mount, with Moscow adding battalions at the border and the U.S. and NATO allies deploying troops to the region. Biden has ordered the deployment of around 3,000 troops to Poland and Romania. 

When asked if they support the deployment of troops to the region, U.S. voters were again split, with 48 percent supporting the move and 33 percent opposing it. 

A poll last month conducted by the Convention of States Action in partnership with the Trafalgar Group found that fewer than 1 in 6 Americans supported troops being deployed to the region if Russia were to invade Ukraine. 

U.S. intelligence now indicates that a large-scale invasion by Russia could lead to the deaths of 50,000 civilians and the fall of the government in Kyiv within two days, according to reports published over the weekend. Moscow called those predictions “scaremongering.”

Some GOP lawmakers have criticized the Biden administration’s handling of the conflict, with some on the far right calling for him to stay out of the conflict and others calling for swifter action against Moscow.   

Emerging from an all-members briefing on the conflict last week, Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) said “I’m for sanctions yesterday to demonstrate our resolve. No more words, No more tough talk. Resolve.”

There has been bipartisan support for a Russia sanctions bill that would increase economic pressure to deter the Kremlin from invading, however senators are still working out the details. 

The Morning Consult-Politico poll was conducted Feb. 5-6 with a sample size of 2,005 voters and a margin error of 2 percentage points.