Only an average of ten percent of the residents of the surveyed EU countries believe that Ukraine can win the war.
As Russia’s war of aggression approaches its second anniversary, few Europeans believe anymore in the chances of Ukraine’s victory on the battlefield.
Tells about pessimistic attitudes recent survey, which was conducted in January in 12 EU countries and answered by a total of 17,000 people. According to it, on average only ten percent of people in these countries believe in Ukraine’s victory. Twice as many, 20 percent, believe in Russia’s victory.
In all the surveyed countries, the majority of respondents believe that the war will eventually end in a negotiated solution between Ukraine and Russia.
The majority of Europeans – desperately want to prevent a Russian victory†, even though they do not believe in the chances of a Ukrainian victory, says the researcher Mark Leonard from the European Council on Foreign Relations research institute (ECFR) that commissioned the survey for The Guardian.
There is a great disparity between the countries studied in how people think Europe should act in relation to war. In Sweden, Portugal and Poland, the largest proportion of respondents are of the opinion that European countries should support Ukraine to win the war on the battlefield.
Instead, people in Hungary, Greece, Italy, Romania and Austria are clearly leaning in the direction that Europe should pressure Ukraine to negotiate with Russia on ending the war.
Optimism has withered
A recent survey shows that the optimism that prevailed in Europe last year about Ukraine’s counterattack has withered away.
The survey is not directly proportional to previous surveys, but of the Eupinions Research Institute according to a year ago, 61 percent of EU citizens believed in Ukraine’s victory. Supporting Ukraine in the defense battle received a considerable amount of support, for example of ECFR and of the EU in studies published a year ago.
According to researchers, Russia is now counting on war fatigue to take over Europe and Donald Trump’s rising to the presidency would also take away the support of the United States from Ukraine.
– In order to justify continuing to support Ukraine, EU leaders must change the way they talk about the war. [Heidän on vakuutettava ihmisille, että tuen jatkaminen] can prevent Putin’s victory and lead to a lasting peace agreement that is favorable to Ukraine, Leonard tells The Guardian.