Americans are not indifferent to the war unleashed by Russia against Ukraine and want their government to more actively contribute to the defeat of Moscow. They see the Russian Federation as a dangerous enemy capable of any crimes, including nuclear strikes.. This position of the Americans is evidenced by the data of the latest sociological survey The Harris Poll, conducted on April 20–21 by the Institute for American Political Studies at Harvard University..

Attitude of Americans towards Russia.

Since the beginning of the war, the attitude of Americans towards Russia continues to deteriorate.. According to a Pew Research Center study, back in January of this year, only 41% of Americans had a negative attitude towards the Russian Federation.. But already in early spring, according to a poll by the same center on March 21-27, 70% of respondents expressed a negative attitude towards Russia, saying that they consider it an enemy of the United States..

To date, The Harris Poll shows that 85% of Americans believe Russia committed a war crime in invading Ukraine.. Also, 85% are convinced that Putin is personally responsible for the actions that led to war crimes..

For the first time since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, when terrorists hijacked four planes and destroyed the New York Twin Towers, the topic of national security and foreign policy has become of paramount importance for Americans.. Russia's aggression against Ukraine and Putin's hints about the readiness to use nuclear weapons have brought the fear of nuclear war to the fore, according to The Harris Poll.. 66% of Americans said they were afraid of the use of nuclear weapons and how it could affect their lives. The fear of nuclear war among Americans is second only to the fear of inflation, which is experienced by 74% of respondents..

Sanctions against Russia and arms supplies to Ukraine.

According to The Harris Poll, the majority of Americans (67%) believe that neither Europe nor the United States show sufficient resilience against Russian aggression and should punish the Russian Federation with more effective sanctions..

At the same time, almost half (48%) of respondents believe that US President Joe Biden demonstrates not strength, but weakness in his relations with Russia.. The vast majority (75%) are convinced that NATO and the United States should transfer missile defense systems to the Ukrainian Armed Forces to protect Ukrainians from Russian aggression.

Despite the hesitation of the US government, 70% of US citizens support the supply of military aircraft to the Ukrainian army.

Moreover, contrary to the position of the Biden administration, the majority of Americans (60%) would like the US and NATO to introduce a no-fly zone over Ukrainian cities to prevent Russian bombing of civilians.. At the same time, respondents are not embarrassed that if Ukraine closes its skies, the US and NATO face the risk of a direct confrontation with Russia..

But, despite the willingness to close the sky, the majority (55%) of US residents do not support the idea of \u200b\u200b\u200b\u200bthe direct participation of the US military in the war with Russia.. And this is not surprising: after the defeat in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Americans are mostly negative about any military operations involving American soldiers..

Relation to President Biden.

Overall, only 40% of Americans approve of the work of the Democratic Party. Biden's own approval rating is also low in all headings, from the economy, immigration policy, the fight against crime to foreign policy, where the president's support does not exceed 41%..

Moreover, 53% of Americans doubt that Biden is mentally fit to serve as President of the United States, and 62% believe that he is too old for the role.. At the same time, age does not interfere with the popularity of either Trump or Bernie Sanders, who today, together with Mike Pence, are in the top three politicians with the highest approval rating..

***.

The war in Ukraine is a serious challenge for Biden and the Democratic Party. It was with the connivance of the Democratic Party with Obama at the head and Biden as vice president that Russia annexed Crimea, started a war in the Donbass and was practically not punished..

And in the recent past, Biden's reputation has suffered after the chaotic withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan.. As a result, many Americans have a perception of Biden as a weak and short-sighted politician..

A Russian victory in the war with Ukraine would be perceived by US citizens as a defeat for the politics of the Democratic Party and would reinforce the American image of Biden as a weakling who is not capable of being a worthy leader of a great power..

As reported, Biden is going to run for re-election in 2024. In that case, he cannot let Putin win in Ukraine..

With widespread voter support, Biden and his party, if they are to remain at the helm, must tighten sanctions, provide Ukraine with all the necessary weapons and do everything possible to defeat the aggressor..

[votes id\u003d"

Read more articles by Anna Brodsky-Krotkina at the link.