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By Brendan Cole
Senior Reporter
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Republican support for U.S. military aid to Ukraine has risen this year in polling which comes amid reporting that Washington is giving Kyiv intelligence to conduct strikes inside Russia.
A poll by HarrisX and Harvard has found more Republican voters than Democrats support arming Ukraine and sanctioning Russia, as surveys show growing GOP support for Kyiv amid President Donald Trump's stepping up of criticism of Vladimir Putin.
It comes as the FT reported that Washington has been helping Ukraine carry out long-range strikes on Russian energy facilities amid speculation over whether the Trump administration will give Kyiv Tomahawk missiles that can strike deep inside Russia.
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Zev Faintuch, head of research and intelligence at security firm Global Guardian, told Newsweek that the U.S. president has likely decided that Russia is not likely to win and has manufactured consent among his base to provide Kyiv with more support.
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Why It Matters
February’s White House spat between Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump and Vice President JD Vance, and the pause in U.S. intelligence sharing and military aid to Kyiv raised fears about Washington’s commitment to the fight against Putin.
The U.S. president and Vice President JD Vance’s earlier opposition to big aid packages is giving way to Trump's growing anger at Putin’s refusal to accept American peace proposals.
Senate Republicans are preparing a new package to support Ukraine’s defense and polling that shows support for this move gives lawmakers political cover, as a decision over whether to provide Kyiv with Tomahawk missiles rattles Kremlin propagandists.
What To Know
The Harris poll found that nearly three-quarters of Republicans (73 percent) supported arming Ukraine and sanctioning Russia, which was marginally higher than the 72 percent of Democrats who agreed with these measures.
While this difference fell just within the 1.99 percent margin for error in the poll of 2,413 voters that was conducted between October 1 and 2, it signaled a shift in opinion on assistance to Ukraine from Republicans earlier in the year.
Comparing polling from different outlets is tricky but there is a general upward trend in GOP support for Ukraine over the last 12 months which, most recently, is in parallel with tougher talk from Trump toward Putin which includes sanctions and tariff threats.
In November 2024, the Pew Research Center found that Republicans were far more likely than Democrats to say the United States is providing too much support to Ukraine (42 percent compared with 13 percent).
But a survey by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs between August 1 and 12, 2025 found 51 percent of Republicans backed continuing U.S. military assistance—up from 41 percent in early 2024.
The latest Harris poll also found more Republican voters than Democrats backed additional sanctions on Russia, (86 percent to 71 percent). It delivers a boost to Kyiv as it awaits Trump's decision on whether to green light Tomahawk missiles, whose range of 1,600 miles puts at risk Russian energy infrastructure deep inside the country.
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Global Guardian's Faintuch told Newsweek Trump would likely shift his opinions and rhetoric based on new information, some of which is internal polling, as well as on the intelligence on the war that might be changing.
Trump likes to bet on winners and has made up his mind that Russia is no longer winning, so he has started to manufacture consent among his base, Faintuch added.
"I also think that there's a growing consensus that Russia's not necessarily as strong as the administration thought it was, and that time is no longer on Russia's side," he said.
One sign that Trump has deepened his support for Ukraine is the FT report, citing unnamed Ukrainian and American officials, that Washington is providing intelligence to help Ukraine strike Russian targets far beyond the front line.
Washington has long shared intelligence with Kyiv for attacks on Russian military targets in occupied areas of Ukraine and warnings of Russian missile and drone strikes, but has not acknowledged a direct role in Kyiv's strikes on Russian energy facilities amid caution at escalating the war.
Now U.S. intelligence has helped Ukraine plan routes and enable long-range, one-way attack drones to evade Russian air defenses, according to the FT.
What People Are Saying
Mykola Murskyj, advocacy director at Razom for Ukraine told Newsweek in a statement the HarrisX and Harvard poll showed: "The American people know what’s right—standing up to invaders and anti-American dictators around the world is America First. Pursuing peace is America First. Giving Ukraine the tools it needs to defend freedom and prosperity is America First."
Zev Faintuch, Global Guardian: "The president likes to bet on winners … I think that Trump has made up his mind that Russia is no longer the winning horse so he has started to manufacture consent among the base."
He added: "There's a growing consensus that Russia's not necessarily as strong as the administration thought it was, and that time is no longer on Russia's side, which was one of the main catalysts for this conflict—that Russia thought it could outlast the West."
What Happens Next
Republican support for military assistance to Kyiv could be a factor as the Trump administration weighs providing long-range missiles such as Tomahawks to Ukraine as the Kremlin is likely to continue accusing Washington of escalating the war.
However, Faintuch said there's a difference between the provision of the Tomahawks and their actual use. "We could see a scenario where Tomahawks are given and that's slow rolled and used to bring the parties to the table," he said.
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