Suffolk/USA TODAY Poll: U.S. Russians and Ukrainians Want Putin Out

Russian and Ukrainian residents of the United States want Russian President Vladimir Putin to be removed from office and to be charged with war crimes, according to a Suffolk University/USA TODAY national poll.

More than eight in 10 Russians (82%) and more than nine in 10 Ukrainians (92%) living in the United States want Putin removed from office. In addition, 70% of Russians would like Putin charged with war crimes and 90% of Ukrainians want him charged, according to the poll taken March 5-10 of U.S. residents who identify as having Russian or Ukrainian ethnicity

“In the U.S., there is solidarity, even among Russian Americans, that President Putin’s time should be up,” said David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center. “Both Russian Americans and Ukrainian Americans are overwhelmingly against Russia’s invasion, see it as unprovoked, and are supportive of Ukraine.”

The idea that Ukraine provoked the February invasion is not supported by 74% of Russian poll respondents and 91% of Ukrainians. Only 14% of Russians and 3% of Ukrainians felt that Ukraine provoked the invasion.

When asked to describe Putin in one word, Russians described him as “dictator/tyrant” (15%), “evil/monster” (10%), “crazy/insane” (9%), awful/horrible” (9%), and “mean/cruel/bully” (9%). Another 4% described him as “determined,” 3% as “powerful,” and 3% said “patriot.” Ukrainians described Putin overwhelmingly in negative terms.

Job Approvals

Overall, 85% of Russians disapprove of Putin’s job performance as president and 94% of Ukrainians disapprove of Putin. However, 72% of Russians approve of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s job performance, and 88% of Ukrainians agreed.

Relatives back home

Those sentiments are held even by relatives back in Russia and Ukraine, according to those Russians polled who have communicated with family members back home. Among the subgroup that has communicated with Russian relatives, they say just 14% of their relatives living in Russia have a favorable opinion of Putin and 71% hold an unfavorable opinion. When it comes to the war, just 8% of Russians living in the U.S. say their Russian relatives support the invasion of Ukraine while 79% oppose. Nearly one in five (19%) Russians living in the U.S.  have relatives or friends fighting in Ukraine right now, while nearly half (48%) of Ukrainian U.S. residents have relatives fighting.

Both Russians and Ukrainians say U.S. not doing enough

Although the two groups don’t disagree on much, there is varying intensity on some questions. Half of Russians (50%) said that the U.S. is not doing enough in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. But 70% of Ukrainians are frustrated that the U.S. is not doing more. When asked what options the U.S. should employ in response, 73% of Ukrainians want increased deployment of military hardware, while 55% of Russians agreed. 

Some 18% of Russians want U.S. troops deployed to Ukraine to fight Russia. Nearly double that count (30%) of Ukrainians think the U.S. should send troops to Ukraine. 

Methodology

The nationwide Suffolk University/USA TODAY survey was conducted through live interviews of 500 U.S. residents who identify as having Russian heritage and 500 residents who identify as having Ukrainian heritage. Some are American citizens, and some are not. The polls, taken by landline and cell phone March 5-10, have margins of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points. Results are posted on the Suffolk University Political Research Center website. For more information, contact David Paleologos at 781-290-9310, [email protected].