Finnish citizens brace for war amid Ukraine-Russia tensions, reveals "Helsingin Sanomat" poll

The premier Finnish print media outlet "Helsingin Sanomat" has revealed the results of a recent study regarding war threats. Accordingly, more than half of the subjects (53 percent) hold the belief that a partial takeover by Russia of Ukrainian territories might provoke an attack on NATO countries in the near future. A small portion of participants, about 16 percent, believe the contrary, while the remaining haven't formed an opinion on this matter.

In the light of this threat, half of the surveyed individuals think that Finland should brace for a potential escalation of the Ukraine-Russia rift, potentially on its own soil, in the forthcoming years. This train of thought is shared by Finnish citizens across different age groups, irrespective of their gender or political inclinations. Still, only 13 percent of subjects dismiss these beliefs. The remaining participants found the question too challenging to answer.

While a considerable number of Finns agree on the need for war preparations, the study reveals that only a fraction (one in five) have taken tangible steps toward this direction. Approximately 45 percent of respondents do not plan on initiating any preparations for a potential intensification of a military conflict.

A fifth of the participants propose that the West should start persuading Ukraine to make peace, even if this means surrendering a part of its territory. However, nearly twice as many respondents (43 percent) don't concur with this viewpoint.

The research was carried out among online panel users from December 15 to 20, 2023. The firm Verian conducted it on behalf of "Helsingin Sanomat". The analysis involved a group of 1047 internet users who were 18 years or older.