SNA (Tokyo) — Recent polling indicates that supporters of the US Democratic Party are now far more likely to support an interminable war in Ukraine than either Republicans or independents.

One of the most striking polls in this respect was published by Gallup at the beginning of this month. When inquiring about American views on the war in Ukraine, Democrats were found to be far more hawkish than the rest of the public.

For example, the poll asked if US policy should “try and end the conflict as quickly as possible, even if it means allowing Russia to keep territory it has captured from Ukraine, or support Ukraine in reclaiming territory Russia has captured, even if it results in a more prolonged conflict between the two nations?” Only 19% of Democrats preferred a quick end to the war, opting for the continuation of a conflict that may have already taken hundreds of thousands of lives. In contrast, most Republicans (55%) and about half of independents (49%) believe that it is time to wrap up the war, even if ends far short of the objectives which the Biden and Zelenskyy administrations have long insisted upon.

Similarly, while large majorities of Republicans and independents now favor putting a time limit on US taxpayer support for the war, about 2/3 of Democrats are open to continuing to send billions of dollars for an indefinite period, “for as long as Ukraine requests it.”

Moreover, US Democrats are about twice as likely (32%) as other Americans to believe, as a matter of fact, that Ukraine is currently winning the war against Russia.

It’s worth pointing out in this latter context that many Democrats view themselves as being better educated and more grounded in facts and reality than supporters of the Republican Party. On this issue, at least, that perception is certainly open to question.

While this partisan divide has been noted in the mainstream media, there has been remarkably little serious analysis or debate about why US Democrats are far more hawkish on Ukraine.

Still, we can venture the proposal, based on anecdotal evidence, that one part of the answer may lie in that liberals tend view the conflict through what they regard as a “moral” lens, while most other Americans are increasingly apt to see the war as being unrelated to core US national interests.

Another factor may be simply that this proxy war has been led by the Biden administration, and so perhaps Democrats feel more ownership of the conflict than do other Americans.

This article was originally published on November 20, 2023, in the “Japan and the World” newsletter. Become a Shingetsu News supporter on Patreon and receive the newsletter by email each Monday morning.