The Ukraine war seems to have brought together a deeply divided United States of America which has been polarised on the basis of colour, creed, ethnicity, and political partisanship for a while now.

Latest polling figures reveal that cutting across the political spectrum and demographic groups, the American people are showing rare unanimity on the nature of the Russian threat, its responsibility for the conflict, and Washington’s response to the war. A little over 65 per cent of respondents said they were cognisant of the Russian invasion of Ukraine which, for a nation known to be collectively challenged when it comes to knowledge about foreign developments, is a very high figure.

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Further, eight of 10 Democrats, as well as Republicans, sympathise more with Ukraine than Russia, and over 75 per cent say it matters to them who emerges on top in the conflict. Huge majorities of both Democrats and Republicans believe that Russia wants to re-establish the border of the Soviet Union and say what happens in Ukraine affects America “a lot”.

In fact, 49 per cent of Democrats and 48 per cent of Republicans believe that Russia is “an immediate and serious threat” to the USA, and a significant majority of those polled believe a new Cold war is on the anvil.

Analysing these polling numbers, governance scholar William A. Galston writes that what is of significance is that this show of unity is likely to be more than just a passing response to the emotions of the moment. The fact, however, is that while there is bipartisan consensus in favour of imposing economic sanctions on Russia and sending financial aid/weapons to Ukraine there is bipartisan opposition to sending US troops to fight the Russians. Indeed, it is probably the crucial factor in the policy matrix for Russian President Vladimir Putin in his invasion of Ukraine.

The irony is that polling shows Americans are in no mood to end the war or reward Russian aggression ~ there is overwhelming opposition to pulling back troops deployed in the former Warsaw Pact countries of Eastern Europe or promising Russia that Ukraine will never join the North Atlantic treaty Organisation (Nato). So, the bottom line is that the Americans want Russia to be taught a military lesson, as it were, but without their armed forces involved in the fighting. Such a scenario is not sustainable and will end up harming the Ukrainians rather than helping them. In these circumstances, authorities in Kiev would be well-advised not to get carried away by Washington’s narrative.

The Americans may well end up burying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi and his colleagues even if they came to praise them. When America is united, it is time for its friends and foes alike to start worrying.