Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R-FL) recently expressed views on the war in Ukraine that differ from those of the majority of registered Republicans, according to a recent poll.
DeSantis responded to a questionnaire from Fox News host Tucker Carlson. He described the conflict as a “territorial dispute” between Ukraine and Russia, saying the United States should focus on China instead.
US INCREASINGLY SPLIT ALONG PARTY LINES REGARDING TIME FRAME ON SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE
“While the U.S. has many vital national interests — securing our borders, addressing the crisis of readiness within our military, achieving energy security and independence, and checking the economic, cultural, and military power of the Chinese Communist Party — becoming further entangled in a territorial dispute between Ukraine and Russia is not one of them,” DeSantis wrote in response to Carlson’s question of whether opposing Russia in Ukraine is a vital strategic interest for America.
“The Biden administration’s virtual ‘blank check’ funding of this conflict for ‘as long as it takes,’ without any defined objectives or accountability, distracts from our country’s most pressing challenges,” he added.
However, a Gallup poll released Monday suggested that the view is unpopular with registered Republicans. Of those polled, 60% said Russia’s military power is a “critical threat to the U.S.” In contrast, 50% of independents and 45% of Democrats answered likewise.
Despite this, 82% of Democrats had a favorable view of Ukraine, compared to 56% of Republicans. Only 6% of Republicans and Democrats had a favorable view of Russia.
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Other polls show a limit to Republican support for aid to Ukraine. A February Fox News poll found that 66% of Democrats believe the U.S. should fully support Ukraine until its hypothetical victory, while 61% of Republicans believe there should be a time frame for U.S. support.
DeSantis’s criticism of the Biden administration’s handling of the war appears to be in line with the beliefs of most Republicans; just 24% of Republicans approve of the administration’s handling of the war, compared to 74% of Democrats.
