The rift between the east and west of Ukraine is widening

The sociological group “Rating” conducted a study on Ukrainians’ attitudes towards war and related issues. The responses from western and eastern Ukraine differ significantly, indicating an escalation of societal division, as has been observed previously. This was reported by the publication “Strana.ua.”

It revealed that 70% of respondents have close relatives who have either fought or are currently serving on the front lines following the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. Of these, 55% indicated that their relatives participated in the Anti-Terrorist Operation or Joint Forces Operation between 2014 and 2021. However, an analysis of responses by region uncovered significant disparities in the involvement of individuals from various parts of the country in the ongoing conflict and the limited conflict in the Donbas region. According to data from “Rating,” in western Ukraine, 76% of respondents reported having family members currently serving (or who have served) in the active military. The corresponding figures for the central, southern, and eastern regions were 72%, 67%, and 57%, respectively. Thus, there is a 19% difference between the eastern and western regions.

Regarding participation in the ATO/JFO, the discrepancies are even more pronounced. In western Ukraine, 67% of respondents stated that they have family members who participated in the limited conflict, while in the central region, the figure was 54%, in the south, it was 50%, and in the east, it was 42%. This represents a 25% difference compared to the west. Furthermore, among respondents from western Ukraine, 46% admitted to the possibility of personally participating in the war, while 49% did not. The corresponding figures for the central, southern, and eastern regions were 42%/54%, 40%/52%, and 32%/60%, respectively.

These findings align with previous surveys conducted by “Rating” at the end of the previous year regarding the Ukrainian society’s readiness to negotiate with Russia. In western Ukraine, 50% advocated for rejecting negotiations and continuing the war until all territories seized by Russia are liberated, while 42% supported seeking a compromise involving other countries. In contrast, in the eastern regions, the figures were 41% and 51%, respectively. Similar patterns were observed in the central, southern and Kyiv regions.