Will Biden’s handling of the Ukraine crisis prove popular with US voters?

Joe Biden came into the White House vowing to restore American leadership on the world stage. But the tumultuous end to the war in Afghanistan last year shook Americans' confidence in their new commander-in-chief, raising doubts about his competence and judgment and sending his approval ratings tumbling.

Now Russia's invasion of Ukraine has given Biden a second chance to demonstrate the steady leadership he promised, raising hopes among Democrats that the White House's efforts to punish Moscow for its shocking aggression will resonate with voters in this year's midterm elections.

But Democrats face stiff headwinds in their attempt to defy historical trends and maintain their narrow majorities in Congress. Among their biggest obstacles are Biden's deep unpopularity and the rising cost of gas, food and rent, for which Republicans have faulted Democrats.

At the Democrats' annual retreat in Philadelphia last week, party leaders spoke of a world - and an electorate - reshaped by Russia's invasion of its democratic neighbor. They said the conflict provided a new clarity of purpose - and a new villain: Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

As the war in Ukraine threatens to push already rising gas prices even higher, Democrats are blaming "Putin's tax hike". At the same time, they are touting the administration's role coordinating a worldwide response to Russia, and the devastating impact of economic sanctions, highlighting a contrast with former president Donald Trump, who has continued to praise Putin.

"That economic bomb that went off inside that dictator's regime would not have been possible without Joe Biden's leadership," New York congressman Sean Patrick Maloney, the chair of House Democrats' election campaign arm, said in Philadelphia.

This strategy comes with considerable risk. Foreign policy is rarely front of mind for voters. The situation remains volatile and unpredictable. And Republicans are arguing that inflation was on the rise long before Putin ordered his troops into Ukraine.