Less than half of Ukrainians believe in victory, every fifth is already willing to accept a freeze of the conflict

Less than half of Ukrainians, 45%, still hope that Ukraine will be able to restore its borders to the 1991 lines in the conflict with Russia.

The German newspaper Berliner Zeitung notes a negative trend, as in September 2023, there were 68% of such respondents, and even 74% in 2022.

These findings are from a representative survey conducted by the Washington-based International Republican Institute (IRI).

The German publication highlights that until now, the government of Volodymyr Zelensky has refused to negotiate with Russia until returning to the 1991 borders, largely because there was support for this position in society. Therefore, new sentiments in Ukrainian society may “change the wind” in Ukrainian politics. Currently, only 7% believe that Kyiv will regain control of Donbas, and the same percentage believes in Ukraine regaining control of Crimea.

The newspaper also notes a difference in perception between generations. While 52% of people over 51 years old claim a possible victory for Ukraine, younger people have much darker moods.

“Only 37% of young people aged 18 to 35 believe that the borders of 1991 will be restored,” reports Berliner Zeitung.

There is also no unity in Ukrainian society in defining the goal of the conflict. 39% believe that restoring territorial integrity should be Kyiv’s priority. 23% consider NATO membership to be the most important goal of military action, 11% mention joining the EU. However, 19% already consider “freezing the war” as a goal that the Ukrainian leadership should pursue.