Tensions have been high between Ukraine and
Russia since the latter annexed Crimea and has been flexing
military muscle along the countries’ shared border. The U.S. has
asserted itself in the crisis, and a new Reason-Rupe poll finds
that a 40 percent plurality of Americans do not approve of the way
President Obama is handling the situation. Thirty-seven percent do
approve of his handling. A large number of Americans,
21 percent said they did not know.
Libertarians may take heart that 58 percent of the 1,003
respondents said they do not want America to be involved in the
crisis whatsoever–not economic sanctions, not military action. This
may be indicative of wariness about adding a new chapter to
America’s legacy of international entanglements.
Thirty-one percent think the U.S. should continue imposing
economic sanctions on Russia, which has been the Obama
administration’s preferred tactic thus far. There has been debate
about the effectiveness of sanctions. The BBC has noted that
“sanctions are only partially successful about one-third of the
time.” Either way, Russia is causing its own economy some
suffering: The high price tag of staging an invasion did
no favors for the already weak rouble.
Only eight percent of respondents considered sending military
troops and assets to be the right course of action for America.,
seems particularly significant given recent developments. The Navy
has already sent one destroyer ship to the Black Sea and Vice
President Joe Biden has suggested further military exercises may
take place in the Baltic. NATO, of which the U.S. is
the largest supplier of both military personnel and
funding, sounded
the alarm this week that the build-up of 40,000 Russian troops
along Ukraine’s border could mean an invasion in as little as three
days.
Some Republicans have
criticized Obama, suggesting that America has to take a
harder line lest Vladmir Putin take further action. But, when
asked, “If Russia attempts to invade additional parts of Ukraine,
would you favor or oppose [sending US troops to Ukraine]?”
non-interventionist sentiments remained high. Sixty-two percent of
people polled would still be opposed to sending military aid and
weapons. Though, when asked a similar question about stricter
sanctions, 61 percent said they would approve.
Reason-Rupe also asked people to compare Obama’s ability to
manage foreign policy to former President George W. Bush’s, and
responses were mixed. Thirty-five percent believe that Obama is
better, 32 percent believe he’s worse, and 31 percent say the two
presidents are about the same. These numbers reinforce an image
that Obama has tried to fight against–that his administration’s
doctrine is, if not merely extension of his predecessor’s, still
equally ineffective. However, President Obama fared
slightly better in his comparison with President Bush than he
did when Reason-Rupe asked the question in September 2013 during
the Syria crisis.
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