A new survey suggests that support for America’s funding of Ukraine’s defense has surged following a weekend of instability in Russia. 

A survey for Reuters by Ipsos conducted after the Wagner group commander, Yevgeny Prigozhin, led a march against Russian military leadership found that Americans’ support for arming Ukraine has surged nearly 20 points.

The poll, released Wednesday, reported that 65 percent of respondents approved of the American arms shipments to Ukraine. A survey in May by the same pollster found only 46 percent of Americans supporting the Ukrainian cause.

Broken down by party, 81 percent of Democrats, 57 percent of independents, and 56 percent of Republicans currently support arming Ukraine.

A former American ambassador who now works at the United States Institute of Peace, William Taylor, told Reuters, “This definitely reinforces Biden’s decision to be all-in on this,” referring to President Biden’s “whatever it takes” policy in funding Ukraine’s defense.

“The Republican leadership of the House and Senate will also take heart from this,” Mr. Taylor said. 

In the Senate, the main Republican opposing funding for Ukraine’s defense has been Senator Paul, though around a dozen GOP senators have opposed aid packages at different times.

In the House, roughly 50 Republicans have consistently opposed funding to Ukraine, including high-profile Freedom Caucus figures like Congressman Matt Gaetz and Congresswoman Lauren Boebert.

Although the Senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell, has been consistent in his support for Ukraine, Speaker McCarthy has signaled as recently as early June that the House would not consider legislation to further support the Ukrainian effort.

On the Democratic side, opposition to funding for Ukraine has mostly come from a group of about a dozen House liberals such as Congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Congressman Mark Pocan, though they have been less vocal in their opposition.

The weekend of chaos in Russia likely influenced the polls results. Over the weekend Mr. Prigozhin called for the ousting of the Russian defense minister, Sergey Shoigu, and the Russian chief of the general staff, Valery Gerasimov. Mr. Progozhin then led his forces out of Ukraine on a march toward Moscow, taking control of the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don along the way.

President Putin denounced Mr. Prigozhin on Saturday. Later that day, the president of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko, claimed to have brokered a deal between Messrs. Putin and Prigozhin. By Saturday evening Mr. Prigozhin and the Wagner forces had stood down, and Mr. Prigozhin was offered safe haven in Belarus.

The survey showing American support for arming Ukraine on the rise comes as President Biden’s administration announced that it will send another $500 million in military aid to Ukraine.

The new arms include more than 50 heavily armored vehicles, mine clearing equipment, anti-armor equipment, and missiles for air defense, according to the White House. 

This is the 41st time Mr. Biden has used presidential authority to send Department of Defense equipment to Ukraine. The White House declined to speculate on Wagner’s activities at the aid announcement, and Mr. Biden has previously denied American involvement in Wagner’s march.

To date, America has authorized more than $16.7 billion in funding to Ukraine through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, $1.2 billion of which is set to expire at the end of this fiscal year on September 30, meaning that more aid is likely to come over the summer.

The total sum for American aid to Ukraine so far is estimated by the Council on Foreign Relations to be closer to $75 billion, which includes military, financial, and humanitarian aid.