More than half of Americans, including one in four Republicans, believe President Donald Trump is "too close" to Russia as he radically changes U.S. foreign policy, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll shows, BTA reports.
The survey, completed on Wednesday, also found that Trump's expansionist agenda, including ideas to acquire Greenland, Canada and the Panama Canal, does not receive broad public support.
About 56% of those polled - 89% of Democrats and 27% of Republicans - agree with the statement that Trump is too close to Moscow. At the same time, 40% of respondents disagree with this statement, and 4% did not give an answer.
Since the beginning of his second term in January, Trump has turned American foreign policy upside down. Among his most controversial actions is his public rebuke of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a televised meeting. The Trump administration later proposed a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia - an initiative that the Kremlin accepted with restraint.
The American turn towards Russia, led by a president who has in the past expressed admiration for Russian leader Vladimir Putin, has shaken US allies. In Europe, it has fueled discussions about the need for independent defense, without relying on American support.
Trump defends his position by arguing that it is necessary to end the war - a promise he made during last year's election campaign and which he planned to fulfill on the first day of his second term.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll also shows that a significant portion of Americans support a key element of Trump's approach to helping Ukraine. 44% of those surveyed approve of his plan to "tie U.S. military support for Ukraine to the United States receiving a share of Ukraine's mineral wealth." Two-thirds of Republicans support the idea, while one in five Democrats do.
Overall, Trump's approval rating has remained steady in recent weeks at 44%, Reuters noted.