Do Ukrainians still support the war against Russia? New poll finds ‘decisive shift’

For the first time, a majority of Ukrainians now want the war against Russia to be peaceably resolved, new polling reveals.

In the latest Gallup poll, 52% of Ukrainians said their country should seek to end the war as soon as possible through negotiations. A smaller share, 38%, said Ukraine should keep fighting until victory is reached.

The findings represent a “decisive shift” in the attitude of Ukrainians since the start of the war over 2 1/2 years ago.

After Russia invaded in early 2022, 73% of the Ukrainians believed the country should continue fighting until it won the war, while just 22% wanted to seek a negotiated settlement.

The new poll, which was conducted between August and October, sampled about 1,000 adults throughout the country and has a margin of error of 3 percentage points.

The poll also found that support for prosecuting the war has dropped below 50% in all regions of Ukraine that were surveyed (some occupied territories — representing 10% to 12% of the population — were excluded).

For example, in Kyiv — which encompasses the capital city — 42% of the population wants to continue fighting, compared to 74% who said the same in 2022.

And in Kharkiv, a region on the front lines of the conflict, 27% of the population wants to keep fighting, compared to 63% in 2022.

Additionally, of those who want a negotiated peace, 52% said Ukraine “should be open to making some territorial concessions as part of a peace deal.” Thirty-eight percent said territorial concessions should be off the table, and 10% said they didn’t know.

Those who favor ending the war were also asked which countries they believed should play a role in brokering a settlement.

Seventy percent said they wanted European Union countries to have “a significant role,” while 63% said the same for the United Kingdom.

In contrast, 49% said they want the U.S. — under President-elect Donald Trump’s administration — to play a key role. Slightly more, 54%, said the same for an administration led by Vice President Kamala Harris.

The poll comes as Russia, which controls about 20% of Ukraine, is making “small-but-steady territorial gains” through a renewed offensive, according to the Associated Press.

It also comes as Trump — who has said he wants a swift end to the war — is poised to take power in Washington, D.C.

This story was originally published November 20, 2024 at 10:30 AM with the headline "Do Ukrainians still support the war against Russia? New poll finds ‘decisive shift’."