Majority of Ukrainians would support Ukraine's accession to EU, NATO in referendum - poll

If Ukraine were to hold in the near future a referendum on Ukraine's accession to the European Union and NATO, the majority of Ukrainians would cast their vote and support both initiatives.

That’s according to a poll by the sociological service of the Razumkov Center think tank, run Sept 20-26, Ukrinform reports.

"If a referendum on Ukraine's accession to the European Union were to be held in the near future, 81% of respondents would participate (from 63% of residents of the southern region to 90% of residents of the western region). Before the start of a full-scale war - in November-December 2021 - 69% of respondents declared their intention to take part in such a referendum," the report says.

Some 88% of those who intend to participate would back accession (8% would vote against it) against 78% and 18%, respectively, in November-December 2021.

Also, 96% of residents of the western region, who would participate, expressed their intention to join the EU (3% stood against), in the central region it was 90% and 5.5% respectively, in the eastern region - 81% vs 13%, and in the southern - 69% vs 20%.

According to sociologists, if a referendum on Ukraine's accession to NATO were to be held in the near future, 82% of respondents would take part (from 68% of residents of the southern region to 91% of residents of the western region). In November-December 2021, 67% of respondents declared their intention to participate.

Some 86% of those who intend to participate would vote for accession (10% against) against 70% and 24.5%, respectively, in November-December 2021.

Also, 95% of residents of the Western region, who are going to take part in the referendum, expressed their intention to join NATO (2% stood against), in the central region it was 88.5% and 8.5%, respectively, in the Eastern region - 78% vs 16%, and in the south - 64% vs 26%.

The face-to-face survey was conducted in Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Chernivtsi, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Khmelnytskyi, Kirovohrad, Kyiv, Lviv, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Poltava, Rivne, Sumy, Ternopil, Vinnytsia, Volyn, Zakarpattia, Zaporizhzhia, and Zhytomyr regions, as well as the city of Kyiv. In frontline regions respondents were interviewed only in government-controlled areas.

The survey was conducted using stratified multistage sampling using random selection at the first stages of sample formation and the quota method of selecting respondents at the final stage (with respondents being selected by gender and age quotas). The structure of the sample population reproduces the demographic structure of the adult population as of the beginning of 2022 (by age, gender, and type of settlement).

A total of 2,016 respondents over the age of 18 were surveyed. The theoretical sampling error stands within 2.3%. At the same time, additional systematic sample deviations may be caused by the implications of Russian aggression, including forced evacuation of millions of citizens.