Camilla Jessen
A new poll shows most Americans believe Vladimir Putin is delaying peace efforts in Ukraine.
A majority of Americans believe Russian President Vladimir Putin is deliberately stalling peace negotiations over the war in Ukraine, and would support tougher measures if Russia refuses to come to the table, according to a Harvard CAPS-Harris poll released on May 19.
The survey, conducted among 1,903 registered U.S. voters on May 14–15, found that two-thirds of respondents believe Putin is “playing games and stalling” in peace talks involving the U.S., while only 34% believe he genuinely wants to end the war.
In contrast, 62% of those polled said they believe Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is sincerely seeking an end to the war.
Strong Support for Continued Pressure
If Russia continues to refuse peace negotiations, 62% of respondents said they support the Trump administration continuing to send weapons to Ukraine and imposing further economic sanctions.
Only 38% opposed further military and economic pressure.
The poll was conducted before President Donald Trump’s May 19 phone call with Putin, which reportedly lasted two hours.
During the call, Putin declined to agree to a ceasefire, instead proposing only a “memorandum regarding a potential future peace treaty.”
Speaking to CNN reporters after the call, Trump said he chose not to impose new sanctions on Russia “because there’s a chance” for progress.
Because I think there’s a chance of getting something done, and if you do that, you could also make it much worse.
Trump also reiterated that he trusts Putin and believes he wants peace — a stance that appears to clash with public opinion.
Trump Seen as Too Soft on Putin
Despite Trump’s ongoing attempts to mediate, 59% of Americans polled said they believe Trump is “not tough enough” on Putin.
- 31% said Trump’s stance is “about right”
- 10% said he’s “too tough”
As for whether Trump will succeed in brokering peace:
- 58% believe Trump will not end the war
- 42% believe he will help bring it to an end
Trump, who campaigned on the promise of ending the war within “24 hours,” admitted on May 19 that he’s growing frustrated with the lack of progress.
I tell you, big egos involved, but I think something’s going to happen. And if it doesn’t, I just back away, and they’re going to have to keep going.
The Harvard CAPS-Harris poll was conducted online in the U.S. with a representative sample of 1,903 registered voters. The margin of error is ±2.2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.