The war in Ukraine has currently lasted for 875 days, and losses on both sides continue to rise each day.
According to a recent survey published by the Ukrainian independent news outlet ZN.UA, nearly half of Ukrainian civilians are in favor of starting peace talks with Russia. The survey, conducted by Kyiv’s Razumkov Centre, questioned civilians across all regions of Ukraine, excluding annexed Crimea.
When asked if the time had come for official peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, 43.9% of respondents agreed, 35% were opposed, and 21.1% were undecided.
Support for peace talks was highest in southern Ukraine, where 60% of respondents favored negotiations. In contrast, only 34% of respondents in the eastern regions, which are closest to the frontline and most frequently attacked by Russian forces, supported the talks.
Opposition to Russian Preconditions
While many support starting talks, an overwhelming majority of respondents rejected the preconditions set by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Over three-quarters of those surveyed favored outright rejection of these preconditions.
Withdrawal of Russian Troops: Just over half (51.5%) believe talks should only begin after Russian troops withdraw from occupied eastern Ukraine and Crimea.
Conditional Support for Talks: 25.8% would still support talks if Russian forces remained in Crimea and areas of Donetsk and Luhansk occupied by pro-Russian separatists before February 2022.
Belief in Victory
Around two-thirds (65.6%) of respondents believe Ukraine can defeat Russia on the battlefield. This belief increases to 82.2% if Kyiv’s Western allies supply sufficient weapons.
A similar survey conducted in Russia earlier in July showed that 58% of Russians favored starting peace talks with Ukraine, the highest figure since polling on the issue began.
On Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky indicated that Russian representatives "should be" at a prospective second peace summit planned for November.
