Ukraine War Could Cost Republicans in Midterm Elections

This year has seen a huge change in Republican voters’ attitudes towards Ukraine and Russia. In the past six months, the percentage of GOP voters who want the U.S. to send more military aid to Ukraine has increased by 21 points. The majority of both parties now favors stronger support for our democratic ally. Approximately 75 percent of both parties’ voters favor increased sanctions on Russia. Fewer than 10 percent of U.S. voters see Russian strongman Vladimir Putin positively, while over 60 percent view Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a positive light. And based on Russia’s ever-expanding nightly attacks on Ukrainian hospitals, schools, churches, and homes, not to mention its sending 19 military surveillance drones into Poland last week, this trend is likely going to intensify.

These massive shifts in public opinion come despite the estimated $1.2 billion the Kremlin spends annually on information warfare against the U.S. and our major allies. It is estimated that over half of that is directed against the U.S.A. Unfortunately, especially among the Kremlin’s target populations, it was initially effective. People like Tucker Carlson, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and others keep lying about Putin’s being a man of peace and the war’s being a result of NATO aggression.

About the Author

Gregory W. Slayton

Gregory W. Slayton is a former senior U.S. diplomat, chairman of Slayton Capital, and author of Portraits of Ukraine: A Nation at War.

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This year has seen a huge change in Republican voters’ attitudes towards Ukraine and Russia. In the past six months, the percentage of GOP voters who want the U.S. to send more military aid to Ukraine has increased by 21 points. The majority of both parties now favors stronger support for our democratic ally. Approximately 75 percent of both parties’ voters favor increased sanctions on Russia. Fewer than 10 percent of U.S. voters see Russian strongman Vladimir Putin positively, while over 60 percent view Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a positive light. And based on Russia’s ever-expanding nightly attacks on Ukrainian hospitals, schools, churches, and homes, not to mention its sending 19 military surveillance drones into Poland last week, this trend is likely going to intensify.

These massive shifts in public opinion come despite the estimated $1.2 billion the Kremlin spends annually on information warfare against the U.S. and our major allies. It is estimated that over half of that is directed against the U.S.A. Unfortunately, especially among the Kremlin’s target populations, it was initially effective. People like Tucker Carlson, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and others keep lying about Putin’s being a man of peace and the war’s being a result of NATO aggression.