Ukrainians lean towards peace talks as war fatigue grows
According to research by the Gallup Institute, more than half of Ukrainians support initiating peace negotiations with Russia as soon as possible to end the ongoing war. Meanwhile, 38% of respondents believe the military should continue fighting until victory. Experts note a significant shift in attitudes compared to the beginning of the conflict.
11:14 AM EST, November 20, 2024
At the start of the conflict, 73% of respondents supported fighting. The report published on Tuesday indicates that fatigue from the ongoing conflict has intensified this year, influencing a shift in public sentiment.
Support for military actions began to decline in 2023 when twice as many people (63%) favored continuing the fight over negotiating peace (27%). Now, for the first time, most respondents express a desire for a peaceful resolution.
Residents in the east want a quick end to the war
Support for continued war has fallen below 50% in all regions of Ukraine, including the east and south, where the front line is located. The most significant decrease was noted in Kyiv - a drop of 39 percentage points. In the eastern regions, more than twice as many respondents (63%) want a quick end to the war compared to those who wish to see its continuation (27%).
The survey also showed that 52% of Ukrainians are willing to accept a peace solution that includes certain territorial concessions to resolve the conflict. Meanwhile, 38% disagree, and 10% have no opinion on the matter. However, the Gallup Institute did not specify which particular territorial concessions were in question.
In 2022 and 2023, most Ukrainians (92% and 93%, respectively) supported continuing the fight until all territories lost since 2014, including Crimea, were regained. This year, that number has dropped to 81%, which still represents a clear majority but indicates growing societal fatigue with the war.
Respondents in favor of swiftly starting peace negotiations (70%) and the United Kingdom (63%) pointed to the European Union countries as the main powers that could help achieve this goal. Less than half of the respondents viewed the United States in this role.
The public opinion survey was conducted by the Gallup Institute, the world's oldest and most well-known public opinion research institute, operating since 1935, in August and October of this year.
