The demand for peace talks among Ukrainians is enormous – expert

There is a strong demand among Ukrainians for peace negotiations. Since the beginning of the war, public opinion on this issue has shifted dramatically.

This was stated by Oleksiy Antypovych, director of the Rating sociological group.

“The demand for negotiations is enormous. It was completely different at the start of the war. At the beginning, we were very united—73% said we needed to fight until Crimea and Donbas were returned. But with each new poll, as the war dragged on, we reached a completely opposite view,” Antypovych said.

According to the surveys, Ukrainians are now divided into two camps: about two-thirds (60%) believe compromises must be sought at the negotiating table, while roughly one-third think Ukraine must either liberate all occupied territories or at least return to the 2022 borders.

“But when you ask further: ‘What is the realistic scenario?’—already 80% of Ukrainians say it’s necessary to find a compromise solution with the involvement of other countries,” the sociologist noted.

Of those 80%, about 20% support direct negotiations with Russia, while the other 60% prefer talks with other states to pursue a diplomatic settlement. Only 11% believe the war can be ended solely by military means.

“But this is not about peace at any price. No peace at any price. It’s not about restoring relations with Russians. Under what conditions could we agree to peace? Only if reliable security guarantees are provided,” Antypovych stressed.

As a reminder, after talks with Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that “the war needs to be ended, not turned into a temporary ceasefire.”