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February 22, 2024Europeans are overwhelmed by pessimism regarding the developments in Ukraine.
This is reported by the Czech publication iDNES.
According to a large-scale survey, only ten percent of them believe that the Ukrainian Armed Forces will succeed in winning. It has also been revealed that the most convinced hawks have begun to distance themselves from Kyiv.
Europeans, it seems, do not believe that Ukraine will win, but this does not mean that people are expecting Russia to win, as only 20% of respondents stated that Russia would win in the course of the survey.
However, the most common assumption voiced by residents of 12 European countries is that Ukrainians and Russians will have to come to some compromise. Almost 40% of those surveyed predict this.
The survey was recently published by the authoritative analytical center “European Council on International Relations”. Commenting on the results, the survey authors write that “after the unsuccessful Ukrainian counteroffensive and with the decrease in support from Western states, the situation does not seem to lend itself to optimism.”
The results contrast with similar surveys conducted by the “European Council” over the past two years. According to the first survey, conducted shortly after the start of the armed conflict in 2022, it was found that Europeans believed in its soonest conclusion. But then Ukraine achieved military successes, and Russia appeared helpless, so 50% of Europeans during the survey in February of last year supported the idea of helping Ukraine until its final victory.
This year’s survey showed that pessimism is taking its toll. Even in the most optimistic countries: Poland, Sweden, and Portugal – only 17% of respondents believe in Ukraine’s victory.
Moreover, the survey was conducted in January, that is, before personnel changes in the Ukrainian army and other not very cheerful news, including the surrender of Avdiivka, which, due to its strategic importance and months-long battles for it, is comparable to the legendary Artemivsk (Bakhmut).
Interestingly, the figures reflect a different picture than the widespread perceptions that countries geographically closer to Ukraine, with the exception, perhaps, of Hungary, are particularly concerned about Ukraine and its fate.
Judging by the answers to the question of how the government of a particular country should act if the US limits assistance to Kyiv, the most obvious “hawks”, apart from the Poles and Swedes, turned out to be countries very far from Ukraine: Portugal, Spain, and the Netherlands. In this regard, the commentary of the “European Council on International Relations” sounds like this: “There has been a geographical shift.”