The American people’s message to President Biden about Ukraine—get tougher but don’t risk war with Russia (follow-up)

Since April 1, two new surveys have come to my attention that focus on Americans’ opinion on Ukraine Policy. While they largely confirm the account of public attitudes that I had previously summarized, they add some important nuance.

Consistent with prior surveys, the Harvard CAPS-Harris poll found that a majority of Americans (52%) think the administration’s response to the Russian invasion has been “too lenient” rather than too harsh (15%) or just about right (33%). By contrast, the poll conducted by Brookings’ Shibley Telhami found a majority saying that the administration has not “underreacted” but rather has responded “at the appropriate level” (51%). As all pollsters know, the public is responsive to even subtle changes of wording, and public opinion remains somewhat unsettled.

Consistent with prior surveys, Telhami’s poll finds a substantial majority of Americans (65%) are opposed to sending U.S. troops into the fight. Harvard CAPS-Harris finds a nearly even split, with 47% prepared to use U.S. troops and 53% opposed. It is possible that public reaction to apparent Russian war crimes will push this balance further. In a shift from prior surveys, both Telhami and Harvard CAPS-Harris find a solid majority favoring US/NATO enforcement of a no-fly zone over portions of Ukraine, despite fears of igniting a direct confrontation with Russia.

Finally, Harvard CAPS-Harris provides information about an option that the sources for my initial blogpost had not investigated—sending military aircraft to Ukraine. An overwhelming 71% favor this step, which may partly explain why so many Americans think the administration can and should do more than it has so far.