Most Americans doubt President Donald Trump’s ability to manage the Ukraine-Russia war, according to a new poll, which reveals a slight shift in views since last year.

In the latest Pew Research Center survey, 59% of respondents said they are not too or not at all confident that Trump “can make wise decisions when it comes to the war.” Meanwhile, 40% said they are somewhat or very confident in the president’s ability.

That figure is down from 45% recorded in July 2024, when Trump was campaigning for the presidency.

Since then, the biggest shift in attitude came among Republicans. Last summer, 81% said they were confident in Trump’s ability to handle the war. Now, 73% say the same, marking an 8-point shift. The share of Democrats who are confident, though, has remained about constant — 12% last July versus 11% today.

The survey — which sampled 3,554 U.S. adults Aug. 4-10 — was released ahead of Trump’s highly anticipated meetings with the leaders of Russia and Ukraine.

On Aug. 15, Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a summit in Anchorage, Alaska, to discuss ending the war. It was their first face-to-face meeting since 2019. Three days later, on Aug. 18, the U.S. president welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the White House.

But, despite Trump’s repeated efforts to resolve the war — and his campaign promise to solve it in 24 hours — no breakthroughs have been announced.

Still, he appears optimistic. In an Aug. 18 post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “I’ve settled 6 Wars in 6 months, one of them a possible Nuclear disaster, and yet I have to read & listen to the Wall Street Journal, and many other who truly don’t have a clue, tell me everything that I am doing wrong on the Russia/Ukraine MESS. … Despite all of my lightweight and very jealous critics, I’ll get it done — I always do!!!”

Other findings

The poll also asked respondents if the U.S. is providing too much or too little support for Ukraine.

Overall, a plurality of Americans, 29%, said the U.S. is not giving enough support to Ukraine, while 18% said it is providing too much. Twenty-five percent said it is providing about the right amount.

Respondents were also divided over whether the U.S. is obligated to help Ukraine.

Fifty percent said it has a responsibility to help the Eastern European nation defend itself, while 47% said the U.S. does not.

Additionally, the poll — which has a margin of error of 1.8 percentage points — asked whether Russia’s invasion posed a “major threat to U.S. interests.”

Here, again, there was a divide. Thirty-one percent said the invasion represents a major threat to American interests, while 31% label it a minor threat. Another 11% said it is not a threat, and 27% said they are not sure.

©2025 Miami Herald. Visit at miamiherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.