44 Per Cent Ukrainians Want Peace with Russia

A recent survey revealed that almost 44% of Ukrainians believe the time has come for official peace negotiations with Russia.

The survey was published by ZN.ua media outlet on July 15.

Despite this growing support for talks, most respondents reject the current ceasefire conditions proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, which call for Ukraine to withdraw from four partially occupied regions. Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and currently fully controls the territory.

The survey showed an increase in support for negotiations compared to a similar poll conducted in May 2023, where only 23% of respondents were in favor. In the latest survey, 35% opposed peace negotiations, while 21% were undecided. Regional variations were notable, with southern Ukraine showing the highest support at 60%, compared to 35% in the west and 33% in the east, where intense fighting continues.

A significant majority of respondents (83%) opposed the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the oblasts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson, which were annexed by Russia in October 2022. Additionally, 76% of those surveyed believed that Putin would only agree to a peace deal on his terms. A slim majority (61%) expressed unwillingness to make any concessions to Russia for peace, while 66% still believed in the possibility of a military victory. More than half (51%) considered the return to the 1991 borders, including Crimea and the four partially occupied regions, as the minimum conditions for a peace agreement.