Russians warming to peace talks despite ongoing support for war

The war in Ukraine has been ongoing for over two and a half years now. During this time, the conflict has seen larger and smaller changes, resulting in a war of attrition currently being fought on both sides. This increasingly affects Russian residents who are considering initiating peace talks with Ukraine. 

The latest results of the independent Levada Center indicate this, noting the first increase in truce supporters in the past six months. In a survey conducted at the end of June, 58% of respondents supported peace talks. 

Residents of the so-called hinterlands are decidedly more keen on ending the war. In Moscow itself, 56% of respondents supported the war. 

In a survey conducted at the end of June, 58% of respondents supported peace negotiations. As noted by the Levada Center, this is the maximum value recorded during the survey; previous peaks occurred in October 2022 and November 2023 – both at 57%. At the same time, 37% of respondents believe that military actions should continue, reports the independent Russian portal Meduza.

Although the desire to halt military actions has increased, Russians' dislike for NATO and the United States remains unchanged. A significant 65% of Russian residents blame them for the war, in which hundreds of thousands of people are dying. Similarly, 58% of survey respondents believe the Ukraine war could spread to other European countries.

The survey results also confirm the effectiveness of Russian propaganda, which uses nuclear weapons as a means of intimidation. Almost one-third of respondents believe their use in Ukraine would be justified, while 52% oppose it. 

It is worth noting that the number of supporters of this solution has increased by five percentage points since April 2023.