Public support for Russian sanctions is falling as the cost of living crisis starts to bite, a poll has found.

       The proportion of the public that would accept higher fuel prices as a consequence of tough Western sanctions on Russia fell 14 points in a month, from 50 per cent in March to 36 per cent this week.

       Global energy and fuel prices have soared since the beginning of the year and remain high due to uncertainty over the war in Ukraine and Russian supply.

       Ministers have warned that sanctions on Russia will have a knock-on effect on the cost of living in the UK.

       A poll by Redfield and Wilton Strategies for The Sunday Telegraph found that 54 per cent of people now believe their financial situation has deteriorated in the last year, up from 42 per cent two months ago, while 62 per cent think it will worsen still in the year to come.

       Respondents were asked about their financial situation on April 13, the day that inflation reached seven per cent year-on-year.

       Less than a third of the public said they had received a pay rise in response to inflation, while two thirds of those who did said it was not enough to counter the increasing cost of living.

       The figures suggest the public’s concern for the war in Ukraine may now be outweighed by financial worries.

       A third of respondents said they would be happy to pay more for food if it would help Ukraine in its fight against Russia, while a third said they would not.

       Shortly after the invasion Liz Truss, the Foreign Secretary, said Britain would take an “economic hit” because of sanctions on Russia, but said it would be “far worse” to allow Vladimir Putin to take control in Ukraine.

       “The pain that we will face in the United Kingdom is nothing like the pain people in Ukraine are currently facing,” she said.