TAMPA, Fla. — Congress recently approved a new round of aid to Ukraine to the tune of more than $60 billion after months of debate.
What You Need To Know
- More than $60 billion in aid and loans were approved for Ukraine
- Americans are split drastically by political party when asked if the U.S. is sending enough aid to Ukraine
- A University of South Florida professor says many people don't understand that most of the money will benefit American jobs by increasing military manufacturing of weapons
- PREVIOUS STORY: Biden will send Ukraine air defense weapons, artillery once Senate approves, Zelenskyy says
While the aid was passed, the public’s opinions on it are divided.
According to a Gallup poll from April 12, Americans are tied 36% to 36% when asked if they think the U.S. isn’t sending enough, or too much, aid to Ukraine. That is up significantly from October 2023, when only 25% of respondents said the U.S. wasn’t sending enough aid to Ukraine, compared to 41% who said the country was sending too much aid.
When broken down by political party, though, the difference is drastic.
According to the poll — which was conducted from March 1-17 — 60% of Democrats say that the U.S. is not sending Ukraine enough aid, while only 15% of Republicans say the same. In October, those numbers were 38% to 12%, meaning Republican support has increased slightly, while the number of Democrats who believe the U.S. isn’t helping Ukraine enough increased by 22%.
“My father always used to say, contribute to society and pay your taxes, and, you know, I think my time in the military really amplified that,” said Army veteran Valarie Lavin, who said she has always believed in giving back to the community.
She spent nearly 22 years in the military and has put that experience into her business, Luminary Global, with her husband Jeremy.
The company sells medic bags and survival kits. When Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Luminary Global sent hundreds of packs there with the help of nonprofits.
However, as the war has dragged on, Lavin said she has noticed the partnerships aren’t asking for as much as they used to.
“I think Americans in general are super busy,” she said. “Life goes on, unfortunately, when it’s not in your backyard. You get distracted by everyday life.”
The U.S. has helped to fund Ukraine’s defense, but many Republicans argue the money shouldn’t be sent.
University of South Florida professor Golfo Alexopoulos has studied Russian history and even lived in the Soviet Union before its collapse in the early 1990s.
She says helping Ukraine is vital to the security of the region, and some people need to understand how this aid and money loaned to Ukraine is being used.
“The vast majority, upwards of 90% of which will stay right at home in the U.S. and fund Americans, so most of the money is going to the manufacturing of weapon systems that the Ukrainians need,” Alexopoulos said.
“There is this misperception among many Americans that we are just sending cash to Ukraine and we are not,” Alexopoulos said. “The money is largely being invested in weapons being manufactured in the United States, often in districts where Congress people are opposed to funding Ukraine.”
She also said it isn’t a surprise that many Americans are showing fatigue in foreign wars, because the U.S. just got out of its longest conflict in Afghanistan. Also, she said that foreign aid only represents less than 1% of the U.S. budget.
While funding is flowing again to Ukraine, experts say it is still uncertain how long this latest round will last, or what might change after the upcoming presidential election.