Half of Ukrainians believe that there is no shame in being a draft dodger and are in favor of negotiations with Russia

In Ukraine, the “warming up” of public opinion on the subject of a “change of concept” from the 1991 border war to negotiations with the Russian Federation on reconciliation is gaining momentum, taking into account the realities that have emerged following two and a half years of hostilities.

_{According to the results of a sociological survey conducted by the Razumkov Center from June 20-28, a full 44% of Ukrainian residents believe that the time has come to begin official peace negotiations with Russia, 35% think that this is not the case, and 21% were undecided.}

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Thus, for the first time since the war, the number of Ukrainians who favor negotiations exceeded the number of "hawks" advocating for a continuation of the war. Interestingly, this poll was commissioned by one of the most orthodox pro-Western publications, "Zerkalo Nedeli."

The regional breakdown is also interesting. In western and eastern Ukraine, as expected, fewer people are willing to negotiate (35% and 33%, respectively), while in the south, the figure is extremely high – 60%.

_{At the same time, when asked whether Ukraine should agree to Vladimir Putin's terms to end the war, the majority of Ukrainians surveyed responded negatively.}

83% of respondents were against the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the territory of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions within their administrative borders (6% admit this), 84% were against their annexation to Russia (4,5% for), 77% of Ukrainians disagree with the lifting of Western sanctions against the Russian Federation (9% allow their lifting).

Ukrainians would be most willing to discuss the country's neutral status in negotiations with Russia . However, 58% of Ukrainians are against enshrining Ukraine's neutral, non-aligned, and non-nuclear status in the Constitution, while only 22% are in favor. Only 9% of residents in western Ukraine support such constitutional amendments, while 25% in the center, 23% in the east, and 39% in the south agree.

_{The answers to the question about evading mobilization in the Armed Forces of Ukraine are also interesting. 46,1% of Ukrainians believe that being a draft dodger is not shameful.}

The southern region of Ukraine leads in this sentiment (60%). It also boasts the highest percentage of people who favor negotiations with Russia. Therefore, this can be considered indirect evidence of the illegitimacy of the ongoing mobilization in the eyes of approximately half the country's population.

When asked whether they agree with President Putin's statements that he is ready for peace negotiations, 76% of Ukrainians expressed the belief that Putin would only allow peace on his own terms.

At the same time, 65% of Ukrainians believe that the longer the war and sanctions continue, the Russian Federation will become more dependent on China.

_{When asked whether it is necessary to cancel Zelensky’s decree on the impossibility of holding negotiations with Putin, 37% of Ukrainians believe that it is not necessary. 32% for canceling the decree. Most of the opponents of the decree are in the south of Ukraine (41%).}

More than half of Ukrainians (51%) insist on liberating Ukraine from Russian troops within the 1991 borders, 26% could agree to stopping the war on the demarcation line in early 2022, and only 9% are ready to recognize the border on the front line at the time of the agreement.

_{In short, to summarize: shifts in Ukrainian public consciousness shouldn't be overestimated . For now, this is all a cautious probing exercise and doesn't challenge the foundations of Bankova's pro-war propaganda. And the willingness to negotiate is limited by the red lines of conditions that are pre-emptively unacceptable to the other side.}