NEW YORK CITY - As the war between Ukraine and Russia continues to unfold, a recent poll by The Economist/YouGov shows Latinos have diverse perspectives on the conflict. The data revealed a nuanced stance on the role of the United States, uncertainty of potential outcomes and different opinions on the nations' leaders.
Skepticism Towards Russia
According to the poll, Latinos show more sympathy towards Ukraine and its leadership when compared to Russia's. A significant portion, 47%, express a favorable view of Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine's president.
In contrast, 70% have an unfavorable view of Vladimir Putin — underlining larger skepticism toward Russia's role in the war.
Moreover, the majority of Latinos view Russia with distrust, as 49% consider it an enemy. However, opinions on Ukraine vary. An overall 60% have a favorable view, with 33% perceiving it as a friendly nation but not an ally — the remaining 27% see Ukraine as an outright ally. According to the poll, the majority of Hispanics, 59%, express sympathy towards Ukraine while only 4% express the sentiment towards Russia.
Uncertainty of the War's Potential Outcomes
A significant portion of Latinos, 36%, advocate for Russia to return all land taken from Ukraine since 2014 — that is, the Crimean Peninsula and the territories invaded since February 2022, while only 4% support the idea of Russia having complete control of Ukraine.
However, despite favoriting Ukraine, Latinos remain divided how the war is currently playing out: 34% of Latinos believe neither country currently holds the upper hand. Only 24% think Ukraine is "winning" compared to 32% of those who think Russia is currently "winning."
Overall, Latinos are uncertain about how the war will end, 29% can't imagine how it will and there is a sense of pessimism. Only 7% believe Russia will return all the land taken from Ukraine since 2014 and 27% think Russia will keep control of all land including the territory captured during the war.
The Role of the US in Ukraine
Opinions on the level of aid the US should provide to Ukraine are almost evenly split within the Latino community. While 32% believe military aid should increase, 20% argue for a decrease— another 25% advocate for keep aid as it is now.
US aid to Ukraine is currently at the forefront of the conversation, as the country has had to suspend it due to doubt within the Republican party about whether Kyiv has a clear end game as the fighting against President Vladimir Putin's forces grinds on.
As the Biden administration seeks to continue sending aid, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned Monday that Ukraine's gains over two years of fighting were all in doubt without new US funding, as NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg visited to lobby Congress.
President Joe Biden has asked Congress to approve $61 billion in new aid to Ukraine. Stoltenberg said he would meet US lawmakers on Tuesday and make the case that support for Ukraine was "in our own security interest."
"It will be a tragedy for Ukrainians if President Putin wins but it will also make the world more dangerous and all of us more insecure," Stoltenberg said. "It will embolden other authoritarian leaders -- not only President Putin, but also North Korea, Iran and China to use force," he added.
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