Prolonged War Fuels Negative US and European Public Opinion
Concerns Over Reduced Support After US Midterm Elections
[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Recent reports from local foreign media have revealed that the U.S. government has advised the Ukrainian government to keep the possibility of peace negotiations with Russia open. Amid the prolonged Ukraine war, public opinion in the U.S. and Europe regarding support for Ukraine is worsening, and with the upcoming U.S. midterm elections, concerns are rising that discussions about reducing aid may expand. This move is interpreted as a demand for the Ukrainian side to engage more actively in negotiations.
On the 5th (local time), The Washington Post (WP) cited U.S. government sources reporting, "The Joe Biden administration is quietly advising Ukrainian leaders to abandon their stance of refusing to participate in peace talks unless Russian President Vladimir Putin steps down, and to send signals that they are open to negotiations."
The source warned, "As the war prolongs, fatigue is increasing among the U.S. and European allies, worsening public opinion. If Ukraine continues to completely block the possibility of negotiations and prolongs the war, criticism that support for Ukraine is fueling the war could intensify."
WP evaluated that "the emergence of such discussions within the U.S. government shows how complex the Biden administration's position on Ukraine is." A U.S. government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told WP, "Fatigue over the Ukraine war has become a reality for our allies."
WP pointed out that especially as the Ukrainian government’s outright refusal to negotiate prolongs the war, countries in Europe facing an energy crisis and African and Latin American nations experiencing worsening food crises have grown increasingly concerned about the continuation of the conflict.
Public opinion in the U.S. regarding support for Ukraine is also deteriorating. In a recent poll conducted by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) targeting American citizens, 30% of respondents said the Biden administration is spending too much to help Ukraine. In a survey conducted in March, only 6% responded this way.
WSJ reported that in this survey, 48% of Republican respondents said the U.S. is spending too much. With the U.S. midterm elections approaching and both the House and Senate expected to be won by the Republican Party, concerns are emerging that discussions about reducing support for Ukraine will expand further if political control shifts to the Republicans.
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