A majority of residents in the United States would stay and defend their country if invaded by another country, according to a poll released on Monday.
The poll, conducted by Quinnipiac University, surveyed 1,374 adults across from March 4-6. A majority of those surveyed who identified as Republicans or independents said they would fight for their country in the case of an invasion, at 68% and 57%, respectively. Most of the adults surveyed who identified as Democrats said they would leave the country, at 52%. In total, 55% said they would stay and fight, while 38% say they would leave.
“When confronted with a terrible hypothetical that would put them in the shoes of the Ukrainians, Americans say they would stand and fight rather than seek safety in another country,” Quinnipiac University polling analyst Tim Malloy said.
The university’s poll also revealed that 79% of voters said they would support a U.S. military response if Russian President Vladimir Putin goes beyond Ukraine and attacks a NATO country. Regarding how long they believe the war in Ukraine will last, 44% said it will last for months, 23% said years, 19% said weeks, and 14% did not offer an opinion.
When asked about President Joe Biden’s handling of the U.S.’s response to Russia’s invasion, 42% of voters approved, 45% disapproved, and 13% did not offer an opinion. A week ago, the school found that 39% of voters approved of Biden’s response to the invasion, while 47% disapproved.
A majority across the political spectrum, Democrats at 82%, independents at 70%, and Republicans at 66%, supported a ban on Russian oil even if it meant higher gasoline prices. However, 56% of voters said the Biden administration has not been tough enough on punishing Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, while 30% said it is about right in its amount of punishments.
Energy giant Shell announced on Tuesday that it will stop buying Russian oil and natural gas and will phase out its involvement in all hydrocarbon operations in the country. Shell will also shut down its operations in Russia, including service stations and aviation fuels, and will change its crude oil supply chain to remove volumes from the country “as fast as possible.”
