Ukrainian majority for quick peace

Published 21 November 2024 at 12.26

Foreign. Two years after the Russian invasion, a majority of Ukrainians now want to see a quick end to the war through peace negotiations.

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According to a new survey from Gallup, conducted in August and October 2024, 52 percent of those polled prefer a quick negotiated solution to the war “as soon as possible”.

At the same time, 38 percent state that one should to continue fighting until victory is achieved – an attitude that is all the more common among liberal Western Europeans who are not themselves directly involved in the war.

In the first months after Russia's February 2022 invasion, polls showed that 73 percent of Ukrainians at the time preferred to continue fighting until victory was achieved. But war weariness has gradually increased, and support for negotiations has now passed 50 percent for the first time.

In eastern Ukraine, where the fighting has been most intense, 63 percent now want the war to end quickly through negotiations, compared to 27 percent who want to continue fighting. Even in western Ukraine and in the capital Kiev, support for continued war has decreased sharply.

Among those who support a negotiated settlement, 52 percent are open to territorial concessions as part of a peace agreement, while 38 percent oppose it.

For those who still want to fight, the view of what defines “victory” also changed. The proportion who believe that victory means regaining all lost territory, including Crimea, has fallen from over 90 percent previously to 81 percent this year.

Among those who want to negotiate, a majority prefers that the EU (70 percent) and Britain (63 percent) plays a leading role in the peace talks.

The future of the war remains uncertain. Russia has made advances on the battlefield while Ukraine's military efforts have drawn mixed reactions from Western allies. The political situation in the United States, where Donald Trump has recently been elected president, may also affect continued support for Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed optimism that an end to the conflict may be closer than many people think. The new survey suggests that many Ukrainians share that hope.