Poll Shock: 48 Percent of Americans Under 30 Support Sending US Troops to Defend Ukraine

A poll released Sunday by CBS News/YouGov shows that 48 percent of Americans under 30 support sending U.S. Troops to defend Ukraine from Russia’s invasion of the former Soviet state. Support for sending U.S. troops to defend Ukraine drops dramatically for each older age group: 28 percent of Americans 30-44, down to 17 percent of 45-64 and cratering to 8 percent among those 65 and older. The poll subset of those under 30 was 484 respondents, with the poll of 2,335 U.S. adults having an overall margin of error plus or minus 2.7 percent.

34 percent of Democrats support sending U.S. troops to Ukraine while 17 percent of Republicans and 18 percent of independents support sending U.S. troops to Ukraine.

Cropped and full image from page 39 of the poll.

Overall 24 percent of adult Americans support sending U.S. troops to Ukraine, with support for sending weapons at 54 percent, sending aid and supplies at 67 percent and 75 percent supporting sanctions on Russia.

On Ukraine, big majorities of Americans continue to support economic sanctions on Russia and sending aid and supplies to Ukraine. A smaller majority also would keep sending weapons. pic.twitter.com/T4NcYf3xPH

— CBS News Poll (@CBSNewsPoll) September 10, 2023

The poll illustrates a major shift in what was once a youth antiwar movement that opposed U.S. interventions in Vietnam in the 1960s and 70s, Central America in the 1980s, Iraq in the 1990s and Afghanistan and Iraq in the 2000s.

Unlike during the Vietnam war, the U.S. does not have a draft which was a major motivator for the youth antiwar movement.

Sending U.S. troops to fight Russia in Ukraine would bring the world’s two leading nuclear armed powers to the closest point of a nuclear exchange since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis and draw the bulk of Europe, via NATO, into war with Russia.

The U.S. military is facing a recruiting crisis as not enough Americans under 30 are physically and psychologically qualified to serve.

An interesting follow-up question would be how many of the 48 percent under 30s would volunteer to fight in Ukraine.