U.S. public thinks, Donald Trump sympathizes more with Russia than Ukraine, survey finds

The war in Ukraine has entered its fifth year this week, and Donald Trump’s pre-election claims of stopping the war within 24 hours of taking office have repeatedly been disproven.

The diplomatic pushes from the Trump administration to make Ukraine and Russia agree on a peace deal, or at least a ceasefire, have so far been unsuccessful, but who is to blame?

The battle for the narrative

The Kremlin has repeatedly claimed that the proposals for peace have not taken into account the “core issues” of Russian security concerns (part of the Russian justification for the war).

Ukraine, on the other hand, has accused Russia of not being truly willing to find common ground and compromise, instead giving ultimatums.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during a press conference on February 25, 2026, that Donald Trump “doesn’t understand” why Ukraine and Russia cannot end the war.

Rubio also said that the administration has continued to put pressure on Moscow, even though Donald Trump has previously accused Ukraine of both starting the war and blocking a plan for peace.

So who does Donald Trump actually sympathize with in the war in Ukraine? A new survey shows what the U.S. public thinks.

Russia in the lead

According to a survey conducted on February 24, 2026, by YouGov, 37% of respondents think Donald Trump is sympathizing more with Russia than Ukraine.

That is approximately twice as many as those who think Trump sympathizes more with Ukraine (19%).

One in five believe Donald Trump does not sympathize more with either country, and one in four are not sure what they think.

Sources: The Kyiv Post, BBC, YouGov, U.S. Departmen of State

This article is made and published by Jens Asbjørn Bogen, who may have used AI in the preparation