Support for Ukraine and President Volodymyr Zelensky among Republican Party supporters has risen starkly compared to just months ago, according to a new poll by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.

This rise may suggest a widening gap between Republican voters and US President Donald Trump’s more conciliatory stance toward Russia.

The poll, which was fielded between July 18 and July 30, shows a 10% increase in support among Americans for the United States sending arms and military supplies to Kyiv, to 62% from 52% in March.

The most substantial shift was among Republicans, whose support for supplying Ukraine with military aid saw a staggering 21% increase, up to 51%.

Republicans also saw a 9% increase in support for economic assistance to Ukraine. Overall, US support for economic assistance to Ukraine now stands at 61%, compared to 41% among Republicans.

Meanwhile, the percentage of people among the GOP who think that Ukraine is given too much support by the US dropped from 47% to 30%.

It contradicts US Vice President JD Vance’s claims just days ago that Americans are “sick of continuing to send their money, their tax dollars” to Ukraine.

Large bipartisan majorities showed support for additional sanctions on Russia in the poll, amounting to roughly three-quarters of both Republicans and Democrats who think Russia should face further diplomatic and economic sanctions.

However, only a third of Americans would be willing to send US troops to help Kyiv defend itself against Russia, with Republicans registering their lowest ever level of support for this proposal.

When it comes to attitudes towards the Russian and Ukrainian leaders, the American public continues to view Putin unfavorably (with just 10% recording positive views), while a majority sees Zelensky in a positive light.

The findings suggest that a majority of Americans may negatively perceive the warm meeting between Trump and Putin in Alaska on Aug. 15, where the Russian president was greeted with a red carpet at his first arrival on US soil in a decade.

At the summit, Trump lavished praise on his Russian counterpart, describing him as a “strong guy” and “tough as hell.” He was seen applauding as Putin arrived, and the pair were pictured laughing together in the back seat of Trump’s armored limousine.

Sixty percent of Americans view Zelensky favorably – a perception more prevalent among Democrats at 77% compared to 41% among Republicans – which still represents a significant rise from March, when only 28% of Republicans held a positive view following the controversial Trump–Vance–Zelensky Oval Office meeting.

Just 34% of self-identified MAGA Republicans view Zelensky positively compared to 54% among other Republicans.

When it comes to so-called “land swaps,” 58% of Americans opposed the prospect of Russia keeping additional territory that it has occupied since the full-scale invasion.

Trump told Fox News on Friday, Aug. 15, that he had reached an agreement with Putin in Anchorage that the war in Ukraine should end with a “territory swap” widely expected to entail Ukraine giving swathes of its land to Russia.

Finally, 60% of Republicans said all four parties – the US, the EU, Ukraine and Russia – should have a seat at the negotiating table to end the war, compared with 77% of Democrats.

“Rarely do I see poll numbers like this. You read the blogosphere, you read X, you might think that Republicans think that we’re way too much in Ukraine’s camp, but Republicans at large no longer believe that,” said CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten in response to the findings.

“Americans and Republicans are much more on the side of Ukraine than they used to be. It is quite the switcheroo from where we were just a few months ago,” Enten added.