Some Young Americans Sympathize With Russia, Believe It's Not Targetting Civilians: Poll

Some young Americans do not believe that Russian troops are deliberately targeting civilian areas in Ukraine amid the war, a new poll found.

A new survey from The Economist and YouGov asked Americans aged 18 and older if they think Russia is deliberately striking civilians amid its invasion of Ukraine. At least 91% of Americans aged over 65 answered “yes” compared to only 47% of respondents aged 18 to 29.

Among poll respondents aged 65 and older, less than 10% said they did not believe civilians were being targeted by the Russian strikes. However, the number of people who believe Russian troops are not deliberately striking civilian areas in Ukraine increased to 20% among Americans aged 18 to 29.

The new poll also asked Americans whether they sympathize more with Russia or with Ukraine. Among respondents aged 65 and older, 92% said they sympathize more with Ukraine than with Russia. However, only 56% of those aged 18 to 29 answered the same. At least 10% of young Americans also said they sympathized more with Russia amid the war.

The poll comes as the war between Russia and Ukraine stretches into its fifth week. As of March 29, the war has killed 1,179 Ukrainian civilians, including 104 children, according to data from the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner. Most of the casualties recorded have been caused by the use of explosive weapons, shelling, and missile and airstrikes.

Officials for the U.N. say that the actual civilian death toll is much higher as some locations have delayed the sending of information due to hostilities in the area.

Fighting continues in several locations in Ukraine, including around the suburbs of Kyiv, as of Tuesday afternoon. The attacks come despite a statement from Russian officials saying they would “drastically reduce” the military assault on the capital and Chernihiv.

The announcement comes after Russian and Ukrainian delegations met in Istanbul, Turkey, for peace talks. Both parties covered an array of issues, including plans for the future of the eastern Donbas region, the future of Crimea and a potential meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.