Latest news with #AntonHrushetskyi
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Over 40% of Ukrainians willing to compromise on 'de facto' recognition of Russian occupation for peace, poll shows
Some 48% of Ukrainians "categorically" oppose even a de facto recognition of Russian control of the occupied Ukrainian territories to achieve peace, according to a poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) published on June 10. In turn, 43% of respondents said they would be willing to make the concession to reach a peace deal with Moscow. The news comes as Russia continues to push for territorial concessions from Ukraine as part of the ongoing peace talks. The survey suggests that Ukrainians are even less ready to accept a de jure recognition of the Russian occupation – 68% of respondents said they are categorically against such a step, while 24% were open to it. The strongest opposition – 78% – was against handing over control of Ukrainian territories that Russia does not currently occupy. Only 15% of respondents were willing to make that compromise. Russia currently occupies roughly 20% of Ukraine's territory. This includes the whole of Crimea occupied in 2014 and large parts of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts. Moscow illegally declared the annexation of the latter four regions in 2022 and insists on Ukraine's full withdrawal from them as part of a peace deal, even though it does not control them completely. The Kremlin is also pushing for a formal recognition of its hold over Ukrainian territories. While U.S. President Donald Trump has reportedly signalled a willingness to U.S. recognition of the Russian occupation of Crimea, Ukraine has rejected the step, as well as its withdrawal from the territory it currently holds. The poll revealed that public opinion on territorial concessions has remained relatively stable over the past months. When asked whether Ukraine should give up territories to achieve peace — without specifying a de facto or de jure recognition of the Russian occupation — 52% said Ukraine should not take the step under "any circumstances." In comparison, 38% of respondents backed the compromise. These are almost the same figures as in December 2024, when 51% were opposed to the concession, while 38% were open to it. "Our survey shows that the issue of territorial losses is extremely sensitive for Ukrainians and, in particular, how exactly 'territorial losses' are interpreted plays a significant role," said Anton Hrushetskyi, executive director of KIIS, in a statement. "At the same time, this means that (un)readiness for territorial losses can become the subject of manipulation and information campaigns against Ukraine." The poll was conducted between May 15 and June 3. It involved 2,004 adult residents of the Ukrainian-controlled territories who were interviewed by telephone. Read also: Key to Russia's potential defeat lies in its economy We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Most Ukrainians believe priority for public should be to support defence forces and repel Russia
The majority of Ukrainians believe that the public's priority should now be to support Ukraine's defence forces and repel Russian aggression. The poll was conducted before the US-Russia talks and the deterioration in relations between Ukraine and the US. Source: a survey conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) on 4-9 February 2025 Quote: "The majority of Ukrainians – 60% – believe that the priority for the public should be to promote the defence forces and repel Russian aggression. Believe that the priority should be to combat the wrong actions of the authorities – 26%. The remaining 14% could not decide on their opinion." Details: Nevertheless, the sociologists stressed that the survey was conducted in the first half of February 2025, before the start of negotiations between representatives of the United States and Russia and, accordingly, before the escalation in relations between Ukraine and the United States: "Given the pressure on Ukraine in the recent period, a process of unification is currently taking place and, most likely, the focus on supporting the defence forces would now be higher." Commenting on the results of the survey, KIIS Executive Director Anton Hrushetskyi noted that Ukrainians still have a clear demand for unity, especially against the backdrop of deteriorating relations with the leadership of the strategic partner, the United States: "Although we asked about the public, it is obvious that this is a demand for everyone - the government, the opposition, public activists and journalists, and ordinary citizens." Quote from Hrushetskyi: "The actions of all these entities must be balanced and coordinated with a common goal - supporting Ukraine's defence capabilities and repelling Russian aggression. Love for Ukraine must be stronger than the destructive desire for personal revenge against those to whom we feel (even if justly) hostility. And this applies not only to the opposition, but also to the government and to all of us." Infographic: Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) For reference: The survey was conducted by KIIS on 4-9 February 2025, to which it added a question on its own initiative about what Ukrainians believe should be a priority for the Ukrainian public. The research method was telephone interviews based on a random sample of numbers. In all regions of Ukraine (government-controlled territory), 1,000 respondents aged 18 and older were interviewed. The sample did not include residents of the territories temporarily not controlled by the Ukrainian authorities (although some respondents were IDPs who moved from the occupied territories), and the survey was not conducted with citizens who moved abroad after 24 February 2022. Formally, under normal circumstances, the statistical error of such a sample did not exceed 4.1% for indicators close to 50%, 3.5% for indicators close to 25%, 2.5% for indicators close to 10%, and 1.8% for indicators close to 5%. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
