Forty-one percent of Republicans view Russia as either “friendly” or an “ally,” a CBS News/YouGov poll released Sunday found, as nearly half of Americans view President Donald Trump as backing Russia in its war against Ukraine—even before the president’s dramatic meeting Friday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) looks at President Donald Trump during the welcoming ceremony ... [+]
Among Republican respondents, 37% view Russia as “friendly” to the U.S. and 4% view it as an “ally,” the CBS/YouGov poll found, versus 27% who view the country as an “enemy” and 32% who see it as unfriendly.
That compares with 26% of Democrats who see Russia favorably and 29% of independents.
CBS News’ polling was conducted between Feb. 26-28, and the outlet notes the polling was conducted almost entirely before Trump’s argument in the Oval Office on Friday with Zelenskyy, which has sparked criticism among Democrats that Trump was acting in line with Russia.
Many Americans believed Trump preferred Russia in the war against Ukraine even before that meeting, with 46% saying the president’s “actions and statements” have favored Russia, versus 43% who say he’s treating both sides equally and only 11% who believe he sides with Ukraine.
Republicans are the most likely to think Trump is acting neutrally in the war, with 64% saying he’s treating both sides equally—while 21% believe he favors Russia and 15% say he backs Ukraine—while 73% of Democrats and 47% of independents believe Trump sides with Moscow.
52%. That’s the share of Americans who back Ukraine in its fight against Russia, according to CBS and YouGov’s polling, while only 4% back Russia and 44% support neither. While support for Russia was highest among Republicans at 7%, a 56% majority said they didn’t have a preference between the two, and 37% supported Ukraine.
How Trump’s meeting with Zelenskyy will change Americans’ views about how the president is handling the war. The CBS/YouGov poll found a slim 51% majority of Americans backed how Trump was managing the conflict before the meeting—with responses largely falling along party lines—though it’s unclear how that polling could change in the wake of the Oval Office argument.
Trump’s Oval Office meeting with Zelenskyy descended into arguments Friday as Trump and Vice President JD Vance got angry at the Ukrainian leader when he brought up how Russian President Vladimir Putin has violated ceasefire agreements in the past, causing Vance to accuse Zelenskyy of being “disrespectful” and “try[ing] to litigate this in front of the American media.” Trump told Zelenskyy Ukraine was “not really in a good position right now” and accused the leader of “gambling with World War III.” “You’re either gonna make a deal or we are out, and if we’re out, you’ll fight it out,” Trump told Zelenskyy about Ukraine’s negotiations with Russia, saying after the meeting he “determined that [Zelenskyy] is not ready for peace if America is involved because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations.” The incident has sparked leaders around the world to express support for Ukraine while Democrats have accused Trump of acting in Russia’s interests, with Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., telling CNN on Sunday the Trump administration was “becoming an arm of the Kremlin.”
Other recent polling has shown sharper Republican opposition to Russia, with a February poll among GOP primary voters by Republican firm 1892 Polling finding 69% see Russia as the “aggressor” toward Ukraine and 83% view Putin unfavorably. Respondents were split on their views of Zelenskyy, with 43% viewing him favorably and 45% unfavorably. Leading Republicans also continued to denounce Putin on Sunday even as they expressed support for how Trump handled his meeting with Zelenskyy, with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., telling CNN Putin is “not to be trusted and he is dangerous,” adding Russia and other countries like China are “not on America’s side.” Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., also told NBC News on Sunday Putin is “a murderous KGB thug” and a “dictator,” saying Zelenskyy was “rightfully concerned” that Putin “can’t be trusted” to respect a ceasefire agreement.