Poll: 81% of Ukrainians believe Ukraine can prevail in war with proper support from allies

The absolute majority of Ukrainians, 81%, believe that Ukraine is capable of achieving success on the battlefield if the West continues properly supporting the country.

As Ukrinform reports, this is evidenced by a survey conducted by Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) from September 20 to October 3, 2024.

"Ukrainians are fully aware of the importance of Western support for the ability to effectively repel Russian aggression. At the same time, from the very outset of the full-scale invasion, Ukrainians viewed it as a joint confrontation between Ukraine’s and the West against the aggressor state Russia," the survey reads.

In September 2022, 80% of Ukrainians considered the successes of the Ukrainian Army as a joint achievement of Ukraine and the West. In the same survey, 73% expressed confidence that the West wants Ukraine to end the war on terms acceptable to Kyiv. In February 2023, 81% of Ukrainians believed that cooperation between Ukraine and the West to repel Russian aggression is a "win-win" situation, where both Ukraine and the West would benefit.

Currently, the absolute majority of Ukrainians, 81%, believe Ukraine is capable of achieving success on the battlefield given the West continues to provide adequate support. There are 14% believing Russia is way too strong a power (in December 2023 it was 7%). Another 6% of respondents could not make up their mind on the issue.

In all regions, the majority – from 67% in Eastern Ukraine to 87% in the West – believe Ukraine is capable of prevailing in the war with Russia.

At the same time, between December 2023 and September 2024, in all regions, except Western Ukraine, there were fewer respondents who believe in the possibility of Ukraine’s success. In particular, the greatest decrease can be seen in the East, where in December 2023, 79% believed in the possibility of success, and now it’s 67% (at the same time, in the East, 24% believe Russia is too strong).

In September 2022, only 15% of Ukrainians shared the narrative that the West is weary of Ukraine and seeks peace that would be unfair for Ukraine. Instead, 73% believed that the West wants the war to end on terms acceptable to Kyiv. During 2023, critical sentiments started growing, and in December 2023 already 30% believed in Western war fatigue. By February 2024, that share increased to 44%.

Between February and September 2024, the share of those who believe that the West is weary of Ukraine decreased to 38%. At the same time, currently 54% of Ukrainians believe the West seeks an end to the war that would be acceptable for Ukraine.

The Omnibus survey involved computer-assisted telephone interviews, CATI, based on a random sample of mobile phone numbers in all regions of Ukraine. A total of 989 adult respondents were polled across government-controlled regions.

As reported by Ukrinform, a KIIS survey showed the absolute majority of Ukrainians (79%) would remain in Ukraine even if they obtained U.S. citizenship or that of EU member states.