Gallup Poll: Support for War in Ukraine Has Plummeted, Majority Supports Negotiations
The Economist publishes the results of a new Gallup poll (published on November 19 and 20), which shows that the majority of Ukrainians want an end to the conflict and peace talks.
According to sociologists, 52% of Ukrainians are in favor of ending the confrontation as soon as possible, which is significantly more than 27% a year ago.
At the same time, the share of those who are determined to fight “until victory” has decreased from 63% in 2023 to 38% today.
"Even Volodymyr Zelenskyy has changed his tone—he recently expressed hope for a diplomatic settlement next year and acknowledged that the Ukrainian Armed Forces lack the strength to retake Crimea. This reflects a shift in rhetoric following the reelection of Donald Trump, who promised to end the conflict within 24 hours," the publication states.
Polls conducted in August and October 2024 show that support for continued resistance to Russia has fallen sharply across all regions of Ukraine.
According to Gallup, support for the war in Kyiv has plummeted by 39% since 2022. In the eastern regions located close to the front line, only 27% of respondents support continued resistance to Russia, compared to 63% who want the conflict to end.
Sociologists write that support for fighting Russia until victory was declining in 2023, and this year, fatigue from military operations has only increased.
"The growing war weariness comes at a time when [Ukraine's] immediate future is in question. Russia has achieved military success on the front lines in recent months, despite Ukraine's invasion of the Kursk region," the survey found.
Ukrainians' ideas about the very concept of victory have also changed. In particular, compared to 2022, the share of those who would like to see all territories returned, including Crimea, has decreased from 92% to 81%.
Approximately half of Ukrainians who favor negotiations are open to territorial concessions to Russia. Less than 40% of respondents oppose any land cessions.
Ukrainians who advocate peace talks said they would rather see European countries and Britain as mediators in the talks than the United States.
It is noted that the survey was conducted before the US presidential election, but sociologists did not find any significant differences between Ukrainians’ attitudes toward Donald Trump and Kamala Harris as head of state.
Gallup data shows that the share of Ukrainians who believe their country will join NATO within the next decade has fallen from 69% in 2023 to 51% in 2024. In fact, support for NATO is now back to where it was a decade ago.
Support for American leadership among Ukrainians has also weakened as military aid has become entangled in American domestic politics. Trump's return to the White House will likely lead to a reduction in aid, and his administration may pressure Ukraine to agree to a peace agreement, the publication states.
"What explains this weariness? The enormous human and economic toll of the military conflict is undoubtedly weighing on Ukrainians. But growing disillusionment with the West and with the kind of support Ukraine can expect may also play a role," writes The Economist.
A Gallup poll shows that more and more Ukrainians agree to a "land for peace" deal. Whether Putin will agree to the deal is, of course, another question, the publication concludes.
Gallup Poll : Support for War in Ukraine Has Plummeted, Majority Supports Negotiations