In his latest effort to end the Russia-Ukraine war, President Donald Trump is meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin today — without Ukrainian leaders — to discuss a potential peace deal that would likely require Ukraine to cede some of its territory to Russian control. Since taking office, President Donald Trump’s dramatic changes to foreign policy have sparked controversy among the American public. This Spotlight Analysis examines attitudes towards Trump’s recent handling of the war in Ukraine, as well as opinions on America’s role in sending foreign aid and accepting Ukrainian refugees.

Views on Trump and the Russia-Ukraine War

PRRI’s 2025 survey on Americans’ attitudes 100 days into the Trump administration shows that four in ten Americans (42%) approve of the president’s handling of the war with Russia and Ukraine, compared with 56% of Americans who disapprove. While most Republicans (80%) approve of Trump’s handling of the war, just 37% of independents and 8% of Democrats do.

Along religious lines, white Christians are more likely than Christians of color and non-Christians to approve of the president’s handling of the war. Most white evangelical Protestants (70%), as well as about half of white mainline/non-evangelical Protestants (51%) and white Catholics (51%) approve. Approval levels are significantly lower among Christians of color and non-Christians: about one-third of other non-Christians (35%), roughly three in ten religiously unaffiliated Americans (29%), Hispanic Protestants (28%), one in four Hispanic Catholics (25%), and Jewish Americans (25%) approve of the president’s handling of the war. Black Protestants (19%) are the religious group least likely to approve.

Views on Foreign Aid to Ukraine and Ukraine as an Ally of the United States

According to the Council on Foreign Relations, the United States has committed $128 billion in aid to the government of Ukraine as of 2025. PRRI’s 2023 data showed that a majority of Americans (54%) support sending “aid to Ukraine because resisting Russian aggression is in the vital national security interests of the United States.” Majorities of Democrats (71%) and independents (54%) support sending aid to Ukraine, compared with 42% of Republicans.

Except for white evangelical Protestants, at least half of all religious groups support sending aid to Ukraine. Support is highest among members of non-Christian religious groups (60%) — a category that includes Jewish Americans — and unaffiliated Americans (60%), followed by white mainline/non-evangelical Protestants (56%), white Catholics (55%), and Hispanic Catholics (49%).^[1] Only 43% of white evangelical Protestants support sending aid to Ukraine.

The survey also explored Americans’ perceptions of Ukraine and its relationship with the United States. A large majority of Americans (81%) view Ukraine as an ally or a close friend, with similar trends reflected across partisan and religious lines.

Views on Ukrainian Refugees

In March, the Trump administration announced it was considering revoking the temporary legal status of about 240,000 Ukrainian refugees in the United States — potentially reversing the welcome they received under the Biden administration. When the war began in 2022, PRRI found that a majority of Americans (60%) favored accepting more Ukrainian refugees. Support was strongest among Democrats (78%) and independents (59%), while Republicans were more evenly split (48% in favor, 50% opposed).

Except for white evangelical Protestants (48%), the majority of other white Christian groups, including 70% of white Catholics and 64% of white mainline/non-evangelical, favored accepting refugees from Ukraine. In addition, most unaffiliated Americans (62%) also favored accepting refugees from Ukraine.^[2]

[1] The sample sizes for Hispanic Protestants and Jewish Americans are too small to report separately.

[2] Because this question was asked of only half the sample, the number of cases for other religious groups is too small to report.