Half of Britons feel more concerned about the situation in Ukraine following Trump victory

A new Ipsos poll reveals that the British public remains deeply concerned about the ongoing war in Ukraine, with at least 7 in 10 or more expressing anxieties about its impact on Ukrainian civilians (77%), the UK economy (73%), and UK national security (71%). Almost half (46%) also express concern about the war's impact on themselves personally.  The level of concern is broadly the same since last August, although not quite as high as it was in 2022.

British support for Ukraine

• Public support for Britain's role in the conflict continues, with just over half (54%) of Britons supporting the government's provision of economic, humanitarian, and defensive military assistance to Ukraine. However, while this support has seen only a marginal dip from 58% in August 2023, it is lower than the peak of 68% in February 2023. 
• Support for Britain’s current role in Ukraine is high across much of the political spectrum. Seven in ten (71%) Conservative voters support Britain’s role, and six in 10 (63%) Labour voters are in favour, as are 81% of Liberal Democrat voters.  Reform UK voters show considerably lower support at 41%, with 40% of this group opposed.

• Nearly half (46%) of those surveyed believe the UK has provided about the right amount of support to Ukraine. 18% feel more support is needed and 20% think too much has been given.
• Half of Britons (53%) continue to think economic sanctions on Russia are necessary, even if it means energy and food prices remain higher, 20% say sanctions aren’t worth the economic impact.  This has been relatively consistent over the last two years.

Impact of Trump victory

• The recent US election has left few Britons more reassured about the war in Ukraine. Half of Britons (52%) say they feel more concerned about the situation in Ukraine following Donald Trump's election as US President, while only 21% feel more reassured. This suggests a degree of public apprehension about the potential implications of the change in US leadership for the ongoing conflict. 

Approval ratings for key actors 

• Regarding the handling of the war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy receives strong approval, with around three in five (59%) Britons believing he has done a good job.  This is only slightly down from August 2023 (63%), though lower than the approval ratings of 70%+ he was receiving earlier in the conflict.
• The UK government receives only a marginal net positive rating (+6), with 33% saying it has done a good job and 27% a bad job.  This is similar, though slightly better, than current perceptions of the previous Conservative Government (29% good job), but actually is slightly lower than the ratings the Conservative Government received when it was in power (37% good job in August 2023).
• Conversely, US President Joe Biden receives a slight net negative rating (-6), with 27% approving and 33% disapproving of his handling of the conflict. 
• The British public is split on how the European Union has responded to the war, with 27% saying it has done a good job and 26% a bad job.

Gideon Skinner, Senior Director of UK Politics at Ipsos said: 

Our latest poll highlights that British public opinion remains broadly behind efforts to support Ukraine in its conflict with Russia. There continue to be high levels of concern about the war's impact, particularly on Ukrainian civilians and the UK's own economy and security. And just over half continue to support the UK Government’s programme of assistance, and even economic sanctions on Russia, despite their impact on energy and food prices. However, while this remains a majority view and hasn’t changed much over the last year or so, taking a longer view levels of concern have softened slightly since their peak in 2022, even for the strong approval ratings of President Zelenskyy.  It’s also clear that while most of the political spectrum – Conservative, Labour, and LibDem voters – all back giving support to Ukraine and sanctions on Russia, Reform UK voters are more equivocal. What’s new in this data is the potential impact of the US election outcome. Britons are more than twice as likely to say Donald Trump's victory has left them more concerned about the situation in Ukraine, than reassured.  This suggests the public are aware of the crucial role the US plays in the conflict and the repercussions that a change in US policy could have for Ukraine and the wider geopolitical landscape.

Technical note: 

• Ipsos interviewed a representative sample of 1,097 adults aged 16-75 across Great Britain. Interviews were conducted online between the 15th-17th November 2024. 
• Data are weighted to match the profile of the population. All polls are subject to a wide range of potential sources of error.