Almost 60% of Ukrainians support the start of negotiations with Russia – survey

The majority of surveyed Ukrainians (57%) are in favor of starting negotiations with Russia, while 38% are against it.

This data comes from a survey conducted by the National Democratic Institute and the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology.

“In May 2022, only 7% of respondents believed that the war would last more than a year. Currently, 43% think that the war will continue for at least another year or more. (‘Don’t know’ was the most popular response in May 2022 and May 2024, with 38% and 36% respectively.) 57% believe that Ukraine should enter into negotiations with Russia to attempt to achieve peace, returning to the results of May 2022, when 59% expressed a desire for Ukraine to negotiate. At the same time, Ukrainians are willing to negotiate only under clear conditions: 60% are not ready to cede Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine, 77% find negotiations based on the territorial status quo unacceptable, and 74% and 76% respectively reject Russia’s demands to renounce NATO or EU membership as the price for peace,” according to the press release on the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology’s website.

Furthermore, the survey also showed the level of trust in the government and President Volodymyr Zelensky remains relatively high compared to surveys conducted before the full-scale invasion. Since December 2021, when trust was at 18%, this figure sharply increased after the invasion began and stabilized at around 45%. Regarding elections, 72% state that elections should only be held after the war ends. The Armed Forces of Ukraine continue to enjoy high trust, with 91% trusting the army, and no respondents expressing distrust.

Recently, another poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology revealed that the proportion of Ukrainians willing to give up territories to end the war has tripled in a year.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin made a significant statement: Dmitry Peskov said that “legal nuances” regarding the legitimacy of Ukraine’s authorities should not be an obstacle to starting serious negotiations. This is notable, as Moscow had recently questioned the legitimacy of the Ukrainian president.