63% of Republican voters want Trump to send Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine

In a shift in GOP approach toward the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, a new survey of likely Republican primary voters shows that a clear majority support President Donald Trump’s proposal to sell US Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine.

The figure emerges amid mounting debate in Washington over whether the US should equip Ukraine with weapons capable of striking deep into Russian territory, a move that would represent both a tactical leap and a strategic gamble.

The missile system under discussion, first launched by US forces in the early 1990s, carries a range of up to 1,500 miles and has been described by analysts as a “battle-field game-changer” if transferred to Kyiv.

Republican base backs a tougher stance

According to the Ukraine GOP Primary Voter Survey, 63 percent of Republican voters approve of the US selling Tomahawk long-range cruise missiles to Kyiv. While still 37 percent expressed disapproval.

While Republican lawmakers remain split over broader Ukraine policy, the survey shows that the GOP base increasingly favours bold action. The backing of Tomahawk missile deployment reflects a shift away from traditional isolationism toward a more interventionist posture—one defined by arming allies with cutting-edge systems rather than merely supplying munitions via third parties.

Yet this backing comes at a moment when US policy remains uncertain. Reports suggested that actual delivery of Tomahawks to Ukraine is unlikely in the near term, as senior Pentagon and NATO officials warned over risks of escalation with Russia.

Strategic and political undercurrents

For Trump, who is weighing whether to authorise such transfers should he return to office, the poll results offer a potent political signal: his base is ready for confrontation, provided it bears the “Make America Strong Again” stamp. Inside the GOP, there’s growing belief that Ukrainian victories correlate with American strength—hence the appetite for weapons that challenge Moscow’s assumed sanctuary zones.

Still, policymakers warn that transferring Tomahawks would cross a red-line: it would open the door to strikes inside Russian territory that could propel Russia toward retaliation, heightening the risk of a wider conflict. Moscow has already warned of “serious escalation” if such missiles are provided to Kyiv.

This latest finding highlighted a strategic recalibration among Republican voters. Earlier in June 2025, only 39 percent of GOP voters said they favoured new US military funding for Ukraine. That figure has now risen to 47 percent, according to the same survey, hinting that Trump’s vocal support for “selective, results-driven” assistance may be shaping grassroots sentiment.

Analysts quoted by Fox News described the missile as a “battlefield game-changer” capable of striking deep within Russian territory, while Trump allies argue that its sale would restore US leverage without committing American troops.

Putin viewed overwhelmingly unfavourably

The October survey also paints a clear picture of Republican attitudes toward the war’s key actors. Vladimir Putin’s favourability rating stands at just 10 percent, with 81 percent viewing him unfavourably, including nearly two-thirds who hold a “very unfavourable” opinion.

In contrast, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy enjoys a 76 percent favourability rating, with a third of voters describing their impression as “very favourable.”

Religion, ideology and identity in play

The survey also reveals the cultural and ideological underpinnings of these views. Nearly 71 percent of respondents agreed that Ukraine is a Christian country and 64 percent agreed that Putin persecutes Christians, suggesting that religious identity plays a role in shaping sympathies.

Among respondents, 78 percent identified as conservative and 41 percent described themselves as evangelical or born-again Christians, a demographic historically attentive to narratives of faith-based persecution abroad.

As Trump positions himself as the Republican frontrunner heading into 2026, these findings indicate that his framing of Ukraine not as a foreign entanglement but as a moral and strategic battleground resonates deeply with the GOP base.