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Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Despite Kremlin claims, 82% of Russian-speaking Ukrainians view Russia negatively, poll shows
A vast majority of Russian-speaking Ukrainians — those how primarily speak Russian at home — view Russia negatively, according to a survey published on May 27 by Kyiv-based think tank Razumkov Center in cooperation with the Kyiv Security Forum. The poll, conducted between April 24 and May 4, 2025, surveyed 2,021 Ukrainian citizens aged 18 and older in territories under Ukrainian government control. According to the survey, only 11% of respondents said they primarily speak Russian at home. Of those, 82% said they had a negative view of Russia. The results come as Russia continues to invoke the supposed plight of Russian-speaking communities to justify its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. But the data suggests this narrative is widely rejected by those it claims to defend. As recently as May 23, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed Moscow "cannot leave" Russian-speaking residents in Kyiv-controlled areas and would "protect them." Only 13% of Russian-speaking respondents maintain a favorable opinion of Russia. By contrast, admiration for Western countries remains strong — 79% of respondents view France positively, and 75% feel the same about the United Kingdom. The survey also found that 42% of respondents identified the European model of social development as the most attractive. Just 6% expressed a preference for the Russian model, further undermining Kremlin rhetoric about cultural and political alignment. Join our community Support independent journalism in Ukraine. Join us in this fight. Support Us Support for Ukraine's military remains resilient. Some 81.5% of those surveyed said they trust the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a reflection of sustained public confidence despite ongoing Russian attacks. Only 14% expressed distrust. Before the war, many of the cities now devastated by Russian attacks and occupation — Mariupol, Kharkiv, Sievierodonetsk — were predominantly Russian-speaking. Rather than protection, these regions have endured mass displacement, forced deportations, and indiscriminate bombardment by Russian forces. The war has also catalyzed a national shift in language use. According to a 2024 Rating Group poll, 70% of Ukrainians now speak exclusively or primarily in Ukrainian at home — up from 50% in 2015 and 46% in 2006. In 2014, just after Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea, a separate Rating Group poll showed that 56% of Ukrainians already opposed granting Russian the status of a second state language. Read also: Sanctions on Russia are working, Ukraine just needs more We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukraine 'not yet in worst-case scenario,' McCain Institute head says
In October of last year, just days before the U.S. presidential election, Head of the McCain Institute Evelyn Farkas told the Kyiv Independent that a Donald Trump victory would be the "worst-case scenario" for Ukraine. In the months since, a victorious Trump has taken office, dismantled the global post-World War II security architecture, blamed President Volodymyr Zelensky for starting Russia's full-scale invasion, and left Ukraine in limbo, all without securing a peace deal. The Kyiv Independent sat down with Farkas at the Kyiv Security Forum on May 8 to ask her if that worst-case scenario had come true, or if there was still some hope left for Ukraine. The Kyiv Independent: When we last spoke, you said a Trump election victory was the "worst-case scenario" for Ukraine — are we now in it? Evelyn Farkas: I imagined an administration that turned its back on Ukraine. And we aren't there yet. It remains to be seen ultimately what position the United States takes. Our government has not clearly delineated — aside from saying that we want to make peace — what our position is on the definition of peace. It seems to me it's part of a negotiating strategy — where you don't tell anyone what you really want and you confuse everyone. It's not a negotiation strategy that I would employ (but) it could potentially work. But it does, of course, make people nervous about what the ultimate objective is because it hasn't been clarified. If the ultimate objective is not to support Ukraine, then that is the worst-case scenario because it means that Russia will not be stopped. Russia will then turn its aggressive attention to other neighboring states — first the ones that used to be part of the Soviet empire, and then it will threaten Europe, and ultimately the United States. The Kyiv Independent: Have you noticed a shift in rhetoric from the White House in recent weeks towards Russia? Evelyn Farkas: As I've said all along, my view is to stay open-minded and give the administration the benefit of the doubt until they make some definitive statement one way or the other. Then we can judge it. Vladimir Putin doesn't want an end to the war because it will likely mean the end of his political existence, if not his actual existence. But right now, I am encouraged by the fact that the vice president and even the president have indicated impatience with Putin. And maybe there's a dawning realization that in this world that Vladimir Putin is not stronger after Prigozhin marched on Moscow, and he's weaker economically, politically, militarily, and heavily dependent on China. In this world, Vladimir Putin doesn't want an end to the war because it will likely mean the end of his political existence, if not his actual existence, because there will be a lot of angry veterans running around Moscow and St. Petersburg. The Kyiv Independent: Why do you think it has taken the White House so long to realize this? Evelyn Farkas: Probably because there are competing interests. There are those who really want to bring the war to an end and do it in a way that's sustainable, that looks like a victory for the president, not a defeat. Because there are some versions of a peace agreement that would look like a defeat for President Trump and for the United States. And then there are others who are interested in making deals with the Russian elites, Putin and his oligarchs. And the people interested in making deals probably have the upper hand. And so initially, at least, I think the impatience and the overwhelming desire to make business deals were impacting their diplomacy more in the beginning. And now it seems that the reality is becoming understood — you can't just go and make business deals. You can't just quickly make peace so you can make business deals. That's not going to work. The Kyiv Independent: How much has this peace process been driven by people's personal interests rather than America's interests? Evelyn Farkas: It's hard to say from the outside, but it is disconcerting to see a lack of a clear separation between the governance, the business of the American people, and the special interests of people working in the administration. The Kyiv Independent: What do you think of U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff's performance? Evelyn Farkas: I think he was a peculiar choice because he's not a seasoned diplomat, and I don't really know whether he's a seasoned business deal broker either. And so he seems to have been enlisted to try to maybe charm Putin and entice him with some offers, perhaps business offers. But that hasn't worked. The Kyiv Independent: Do you think that Witkoff was the one who was charmed? Evelyn Farkas: I can't say, I don't know him. Of course, he was repeating things the Kremlin told him, and we know that the Kremlin sells a bunch of propaganda and lies. So he was either charmed by them, or for some other reason, he felt like he needed to repeat their propaganda and really omit some of the truth when he spoke publicly. The Kyiv Independent: Here in Ukraine, at some moments during Trump's term, it has seemed like the U.S. might not only abandon Ukraine, but outright betray it by giving Russia everything that it wants — was that felt by Ukraine supporters in the U.S.? Evelyn Farkas: I think for pro-Ukraine people in the United States, there was a lot of concern around statements like 'Ukraine can't ever become part of NATO', that 'Crimea was always Russian.' Those kinds of statements are a betrayal of Ukraine and its interests. And frankly, they are a betrayal of our interests, because our interest is in stopping Putin's neo-imperial aggression, and getting a just, lasting peace for Ukraine. "The American people feel very clearly that Ukraine was and is the victim, and Russia was and is the aggressor. And that is not articulated clearly from the White House." So, yes, we were alarmed by those statements because they seemed to indicate that that was the private negotiating position of the administration. Again, not a lot has been made public. And of course, when the issue of the Coalition of the Willing was raised by the Europeans, led by U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the reaction from the White House was non-committal. And that's also disturbing because you can't have a deterrence of Putin, and that is to say, a lasting peace for Ukraine, without the United States military to back it up. The Kyiv Independent: Do you think Trump and Zelensky's relationship is OK now, or could we see it revert to a time similar to the infamous Oval Office showdown? Evelyn Farkas: You can't rule it out. I was shocked by the treatment of President Zelensky in the White House. It was appalling. I think a lot of it is tactics, although, of course, Trump (does) seem to have this preference for Russia over Ukraine that goes all the way back to the 80s when he visited Moscow. The Kyiv Independent: What can Democrats do, if anything, right now to help Ukraine? Evelyn Farkas: Continue to work with Republicans who want to support Ukraine. (Republican Senator) Lindsey Graham has a sanctions bill that has a veto-proof majority. There should be more efforts like that, more bipartisan legislation. The Democrats... I wish sometimes they would be more honest about things that we did wrong, things that we might have done better, in order to actually give the Republicans an incentive to do more right now in Ukraine. Politicians rarely do that, though. And the last thing that they can do is continue to speak to their constituents. And then listen to their constituents, because there are a lot of constituents who care and who want America to do the right thing when it comes to Ukraine and other places in the world. The Kyiv Independent: Do you get the sense that American public opinion differs very wildly from the opinions that we get out of the White House on Ukraine? Evelyn Farkas: Yes. The polls show that there's still a majority of Americans in favor of supporting Ukraine. But in the White House, it's unclear. And I think the American people feel very clearly that Ukraine was and is the victim, and Russia was and is the aggressor. That is not articulated clearly from the White House. Read also: Investigation: Uncovering the secret Russian FSB operation to loot Ukraine's museums We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Euronews
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Too few women in peacebuilding can lead to blind-spots: NATO official
Too few women participate in conflict resolution worldwide which increases the risk of certain topics being overlooked during peace talks, the NATO Secretary General's Special Representative for Women, Peace and Security told Euronews. "Women remain still a minority when it comes to conflict management and resolution," Irene Fellin told Euronews on the sidelines of the Kyiv Security Forum which was held last week on the 80th anniversary of the surrender of Nazi Germany in World War II. "What the evidence shows, the research, (is) the absence of women in negotiation leads to the fact that certain topics are less addressed," she added. October will mark the 25th anniversary of the adoption at the United Nations of Resolution 1325 which aimed to ensure the "equal participation and full involvement" of women in "all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security". Yet women represented only 16% of negotiators in active peace processes led or co-led by the United Nations in 2022, a 7 percentage point decrease from 2020. This is despite research highlighting that when women participate in peace processes, the resulting agreement is more durable and better implemented. "The evidence shows that we still need women to have this holistic view of security needs," Fellin said, to ensure that different perspectives are taken into account and because "space is gendered" as it is "used by the different individuals in a specific way". "One of the examples that I often use is about demining," she said. "If you ask only men what areas they will want to demine, the priorities will change because they will maybe use the road from the village to the city or the space where they work, and women will maybe think where children play or where they will go to do other activities. So having this integrated approach is extremely important." But this can also impact how access to health, food, and the protection of children is addressed during and after the conflict comes to a resolution. Ukraine, which has been fighting a full-scale Russian invasion for over three years, is being commended for putting accountability mechanisms in place very early on to address conflict-related sexual violence, which primarily impacts women, but also prisoners of war, who tend to be male. "This is an extraordinary lesson that we all have to learn from Ukraine," Fellin said. But the increased participation of women in the armed forces - nearly 67,000 women were in the Ukrainian Armed Forces as of January 2024 - has revealed some gaps. "One of the problems that emerged is that servicewomen were not equipped with the right combat uniform which means that women were wearing a uniform tailor-made around men's anthropomorphic data," Fellin told Euronews. "When women fight and they are not comfortable they put their own life at risk, but at the same time, their operational effectiveness is limited. They are not combat-ready in that sense. So it's very important to bring these needs into the analysis and in the way in which the respective armed forces, but also NATO, developed its capabilities," she added. Additionally, ongoing talks between the US and Russia and the US and Ukraine to end the war heavily skew male with few women in high-profile diplomatic positions. Meanwhile at the EU level, while the bloc's top diplomat is a woman, Kaja Kallas, only five out of the 27 member states have foreign affairs ministers and only three, defence ministers. Yet times of war can surprisingly open doors to women that might have been previously closed, Fellin also said. "Looking back at history, women have changed their role during wars. It's sad maybe to say, but wars and conflict create an opportunity to look at gender roles within the society, and they act as an accelerator. So in a way, this is an opportunity for women to take on different responsibilities." But it's during peacetime that steps must be taken to increase women's participation in diplomacy, Fellin nonetheless said. "It's difficult to see women in a high-level position, and as high-level mediators or diplomats If they don't have an active role before within their society. "What we have to build and change is creating opportunities in peacetime in all our respective countries and work on the change of mindset and to make clear how better we are, how more efficient we are in all of our decisions when women and men are equally involved in our decision-making processes," she urged.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Majority of Ukrainians unwilling to trade territory or Western path for peace, poll shows
The majority of Ukrainians say they are not ready to give up any territory or abandon the country's Western course in negotiations with Russia, according to a new nationwide poll published on May 8 by the Razumkov Center, a Kyiv-based public policy think tank. The survey, conducted between April 24 and May 4 in partnership with the Kyiv Security Forum, shows that 56.9% of respondents would not be willing to compromise on either territorial integrity or Ukraine's pro-Western direction in any potential talks with Moscow. Only 11.1% said they would consider ceding territory, while 14.7% would be open to changing Ukraine's geopolitical course. The findings reflect a national consensus more than three years into Russia's full-scale invasion, amid reports on the possible U.S.-suggested peace plan. According to Axios, the plan included de jure recognition of Russia's annexation of occupied Crimea, along with de facto recognition of its occupation of other Ukrainian territories. It also provided for lifting sanctions imposed on Russia since 2014. About two-thirds (66.5%) of Ukrainians believe Russia would violate any peace agreement and resume its attacks when convenient, the poll showed. Just 10.8% said they thought both sides would likely adhere to a signed peace deal. Skepticism also prevails when it comes to specific concessions. Over half of respondents (52.3%) said Ukraine should not agree to abandon its NATO aspirations, even if it were a condition of a peace treaty. Some 81% opposed reducing the size of the country's armed forces. Russia has long insisted on limiting Ukraine's military capabilities and barring its accession to NATO as key conditions for peace. In a recent interview with Le Globo, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reiterated that Moscow would be prepared to enter negotiations only if Ukraine commits to permanent neutrality and demilitarizes. Some 60.6% of Ukrainians believe a military victory over Russia is possible. At the same time, 54.1% said they do not believe a peace agreement can be reached in the near future. Support for Ukraine's integration with the West also remains strong. More than half (57.2%) favor the European model of development, compared to just 0.7% who prefer a Russian-leaning model. More than 100 days have passed since the U.S. administration began efforts to broker peace between Ukraine and Russia, despite U.S. President Donald Trump's campaign promise to end the war in one accepted an unconditional 30-day U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal in March, but Moscow rejected it, demanding a complete end to Western military support for Ukraine. Russia has repeatedly proclaimed its supposed readiness for peace talks while simultaneously pushing for maximalist demands. Kyiv has dismissed these declarations as a propaganda stunt, noting that Russian forces have only intensified their attacks on Ukrainian cities and towns. Read also: 'The front is noisy' — for Ukraine's soldiers, Russia's Victory Day 'ceasefire' is yet another sham We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Almost 60% of Ukrainians trust Zelenskyy
Sociologists report that as of May, trust in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy among Ukrainians was 59.8%. Source: a survey conducted by the Razumkov Centre's sociological service in cooperation with the Kyiv Security Forum, conducted from 24 April to 4 May 2025 Details: The survey shows that 17.1% of Ukrainians fully trust Zelenskyy, and 42.7% rather trust him. Meanwhile, 13.7% of respondents do not trust Zelenskyy at all and 19.4% rather do not trust him. Reference: The survey was conducted face-to-face only in the territories controlled by the government of Ukraine and not subject to hostilities. A total of 2,021 respondents over the age of 18 were interviewed. The theoretical margin of error does not exceed 2.3%. However, additional systematic deviations may be present due to the consequences of Russian aggression, in particular, the forced displacement of millions of citizens. Background: A poll conducted by the Razumkov Centre sociological service from 28 February to 6 March 2025 showed Zelenskyy was trusted by 57.5%. A poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) conducted from 4 February to 4 March showed the level of trust among Ukrainians in Zelenskyy rose from 57% in the first half of February to 68% after the deterioration of relations with the administration of US President Donald Trump and the Oval Office dispute. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
