Canadian support for accepting more Ukrainian refugees also outweighs opposition.
A recent survey conducted by Public First for Politico shows Canadian support for aiding Ukraine remains strong, even as public opinion in France and Germany grows more divided on the issue.
When asked whether financial support for Ukraine should be increased, 13% of Canadians said it should be increased significantly, while 22% said it should be increased somewhat. 34% said it should remain the same, while 10% want financial support decreased somewhat, and 12% want financial aid decreased significantly. That adds up to 35% in favour of increased financial aid to Ukraine, 34% in favour of keeping financial aid steady, and 22% in favour of decreasing financial aid.
Out of five countries surveyed (Canada, the UK, the US, France, and Germany), Canada recorded the lowest level of opposition to financial aid for Ukraine. The highest level of increased aid is in the US, where 36% support more aid, 27% want aid kept the same, and 24% want decreased aid. In the UK, 31% want to increase financial aid, compared to 38% who want it kept the same and 24% who want it reduced. In France, 25% want to increase aid, 26% want to keep it steady, and 37% want to reduce it. And in Germany, 21% want to increase aid, 28% want to keep it the same, and 46% want to reduce it.
Canada, the UK, and the US are also the most supportive of increasing military support. In Canada, 38% want to increase military aid, while 19% are opposed. In the US, the split is 39%-20%, and in the UK, the split is 37%-18%. In France, the split is 31%-30%, and in Germany it’s 27%-39%.
Support for humanitarian assistance outweighs opposition in all countries surveyed, as does support for increasing sanctions on Russia. In Canada, 49% want to increase sanctions, 25% want sanctions kept the same, and 13% want sanctions reduced.
Canadians also remain supportive of welcoming Ukrainian refugees (Canada has welcomed about 300,000 refugees from Ukraine so far). 35% support increasing the number of refugees welcomed, while 35% say the number of refugees should stay the same, and 22% say the number of refugees should be decreased. Support for welcoming more refugees from Ukraine outweighs opposition in Canada, the UK, and the US, while opposition outweighs support in France and Germany. Of note, Germany has welcomed 1.2 million refugees from Ukraine, while France has welcomed roughly 60,000.
As they relate to Canada, these polling results indicate a critical mass of Canadians remain steadfast in the recognition that aiding Ukraine’s fight for freedom is the right thing to do, both from an ethical standpoint and when it comes to Canada’s national interests.
Spencer Fernando
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