President Donald Trump vowed on the campaign trail to end the Russia-Ukraine war within 24 hours of taking office.
That didn’t happen. Now the president appears to be backing off from that promise, and hinted at walking away from negotiations altogether.
“If for some reason one of the two parties makes it very difficult, we’re just going to say, ‘You’re foolish, you’re fools, you’re horrible people,’ and we’re going to just take a pass,” Trump told reporters last week. “But hopefully, we won’t have to do that.”
Despite Trump’s uneven messaging on the prolonged war, 54% of Utah voters approve of the job he has done to end the conflict, according to a new Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll. The survey found 35% disapprove and 11% don’t know.
“Utahns still care deeply about Ukraine’s sovereignty, and most believe the country shouldn’t settle for peace if it means giving up land,” said Jason Perry, director of the University of Utah’s Hinckley Institute of Politics.
“That commitment to principle hasn’t changed, but the way people want to support Ukraine has. There’s been a clear drop in enthusiasm for things like military aid, sanctions and even humanitarian support. The support is quieter now, more cautious, and shaped by the fatigue that comes with a long, costly conflict.”
The survey of 800 registered Utah voters conducted April 9-12 showed a wide partisan split, with 71% of Republicans approving of the president’s handling of the war, compared to 23% of Democrats and 36% of unaffiliated voters. Younger voters approved of Trump’s handling of the war more than older ones.
Also, 83% of those who voted from Trump in the 2024 elections approve of his efforts to end the war, while an almost equal percentage of those who voted for Kamala Harris disapprove.
Jovita Neliupšienė, European Union ambassador to the U.S., said the U.S. and EU have coordinated their efforts to help Ukraine militarily, financially and economically from the start of the fighting more than three years ago. They’ve also worked together on sanctions against Russia and controlling exports, she said.
“Now, there is a huge effort of President Trump to reach cease fire. I think that you would not find a person in Europe or in Ukraine who would not wish this war to stop. There is an easy way, actually how to stop the war, the Russia has to stop bombing,” she told the Deseret News last week after speaking at the World Trade Center Utah event in Salt Lake City.
The Deseret News/Hinckley Institute poll asked whether Ukraine should pursue a peace deal with Russia even if it’s required to cede 20% of its land to Russia or instead hold out for an agreement that preserves its territory and sovereignty.
According to the results, 62% favored holding out for a peace deal, while 32% favored pursuing an end to the war. Democrats surveyed were much more inclined toward holding out than Republicans, 81% to 54%. Nearly three-fourths of unaffiliated voters favored waiting for a peace accord.
The survey also showed Trump voters evenly split on Ukraine giving up land to end the war and holding out for a peace agreement. Among Harris voters, 83% supported holding out.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last week that the U.S. might “move on” from trying to secure a Russia-Ukraine peace deal if there is no progress soon. A new meeting is expected this week in London, and Rubio suggested it could be decisive in determining whether the Trump administration stays involved, the Associated Press reported.
“We are now reaching a point where we need to decide whether this is even possible or not,” Rubio told reporters. “Because if it’s not, then I think we’re just going to move on. It’s not our war. We have other priorities to focus on.”
In being asked to consider possible U.S. responses to the ongoing conflict, providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine topped the survey results at 58%, according to the poll. Just over half favored more economic sanctions on Russia, while seizing and freezing assets of private Russian citizens came in at 27%. Four in 10 surveyed support providing Ukraine weapons and supplies and one-fifth favor sending combat troops. And 17% prefer the U.S. do none of those things.
Democrats supported all of the responses — except doing nothing — more than Republicans, particularly when it comes to humanitarian aid and providing weapons and supplies.
Utahn voters’ thoughts on the types of responses have shifted since the early days of the war as Deseret News/Hinckley Institute polling has shown. Most voters aren’t as supportive of humanitarian or financial aid, though the latest survey found increased support for economic sanctions on Russia.
The Biden administration imposed sanctions on Russia early in the war, including banning Russian flights, exports on luxury goods and military equipment. Sanctions aimed at the Russian central bank froze hundreds of billions of dollars of assets.
Reuters reported last week that Democrats in the U.S. House introduced legislation to bolster Ukraine, including providing security and reconstruction funds, and imposing steep sanctions on Russia.
Contributing: Brigham Tomco
Utahns mixed on Trump's work to end Russia-Ukraine war – Deseret News
