Declining support for continued war in Ukraine

Published December 28, 2024 at 12.01

Foreign. A shift in public opinion regarding support for Ukraine is clearly visible in Western Europe in a recent survey from YouGov, reports The Guardian.

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In countries such as Germany, France and Italy, a majority now prefer a negotiated peace with Russia over continued support “until Ukraine wins the war”.

The survey, conducted in December, shows that the willingness to support Ukraine “until it wins” has decreased significantly compared to the previous year.

At the same time, support for a peace settlement, even if it means Russia retaining occupied territories, has increased significantly.

In Sweden and Denmark, support for continuing to spend money on an imagined Ukrainian victory remains relatively high, but here too a decline is visible.

In Sweden, the proportion supporting Ukraine “until it wins” has fallen from 57 to 50 percent in one year.

The political uncertainty ahead of Donald Trump's inauguration as US president in January is believed to influence public opinion.

Many Europeans expect the Trump administration to reduce or suspend US military support for Ukraine, increasing pressure on Europe's own efforts.

Despite criticism of insufficient support, only small minorities in the countries surveyed believe that their governments should increase aid.

Larger groups prefer to maintain or reduce support.