Almost half think Trump sympathizes with Russia in Ukraine war: Survey

Nearly half of American voters think President Trump favors Russia over Ukraine, according to a poll taken as his administration tries to broker a deal between the countries to end their war.

Just 8 percent of respondents in the NBC News poll said they think Trump is on Ukraine's side in the war, which started three years ago with Russia's invasion of its neighbor, even as 61 percent said they personally back Ukraine in the conflict.

Two percent of respondents said they are more sympathetic to Russia, and 35 percent said they favor neither side.

About a third of respondents said they think Trump is neutral in the conflict — a position the president has stressed.

“If I didn't align myself with both of them, you'd never have a deal,” Trump said last month. “I'm not aligned with anybody. I'm aligned with the United States of America, and for the good of the world.”

The NBC New poll comes as Trump revealed he is expected to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday. He told reporters Sunday on Air Force One that “a lot of work’s been done over the weekend” on the peace talks.

“We’re doing pretty well, I think, with Russia,” Trump said. “See if we have something to announce maybe Tuesday.”

“We want to see if we can bring that war to an end," he added.

Early efforts from the Trump administration to engage with Russia on a ceasefire deal without representatives from Ukraine or other European countries raised international concerns over priorities in ending the war.

Those concerns were further fueled after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s explosive Oval Office meeting with Trump and Vice President Vance days after the U.S. voted against a United Nations resolution that condemned Russia for its invasion of Ukraine that prompted the war.

The NBC News poll surveyed 1,000 registered voters online and by phone March 7-11. Its margin of error is 3.1 percentage points.