Number of Ukrainians open to territorial concessions rises, but majority still opposes – poll shows

A recent KIIS survey reveals a gradual but significant shift in Ukrainian public opinion, with those open to some land concessions rising from a steady 8-10% in 2022-2023 to 32% by 2024, however, 55% of the respondents still firmly reject any territorial concessions with Russia.

Jul 24, 2024 - 08:06

Number of Ukrainians open to territorial concessions rises, but majority still opposes – poll shows

Survey results on the question "Which of these statements about possible compromises to achieve peace with Russia do you agree to a greater extent?"

A recent survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) reveals that the number of Ukrainians willing to make territorial concessions to achieve peace as quickly as possible has increased, but the majority of Ukrainians still oppose any territorial compromises with Russia.

This comes after Putin said in June that one of his conditions for peace and ceasefire is for Ukraine to entirely withdraw troops from Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Luhansk Oblasts, parts of which Russia illegally annexed in 2022.

According to KIIS, the percentage of Ukrainians open to territorial concessions has risen from around 8-10% in May 2022-2023 to 32% by May 2024.

From May 2022 to May 2023, the absolute majority, 82-87%, were consistently opposed to any concessions. While in 2024, 55% of Ukrainians still firmly reject any territorial concessions, even if it means a prolonged war.

The survey, conducted regularly since May 2022, asks respondents to choose between two statements:

1. “To achieve peace and preserve independence as quickly as possible, Ukraine can give up some of its territories.”

2. “Under no circumstances should Ukraine give up any of its territories, even if this means the war will last longer and there are threats to preserving independence.”

Context of the survey

KIIS Executive Director Anton Hrushetsky emphasizes that the willingness to consider territorial concessions should not be equated with accepting “peace on any terms” or capitulation. Instead, it reflects a potential openness to discuss peace parameters in the context of territorial control.

Hrushetsky notes that the May 2024 survey coincided with active Russian offensive actions in Kharkiv Oblast, which may have influenced responses.

“The fact that despite all the difficulties of modern realities, the majority of Ukrainians continue to reject territorial concessions suggests that the glass is ‘half full’,” he said.

He adds that the survey results demonstrate Ukrainians’ flexibility within the framework of possible dialogue, with security and convincing guarantees being the priority.

About the survey

Between May 16-22 and June 20-25, 2024, the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) conducted two nationwide public opinion surveys in Ukraine. Using computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI) based on a random sample of mobile phone numbers, they surveyed 1,067 respondents in May and 2,008 in June. The surveys covered all regions of Ukraine controlled by the Ukrainian government and included adult citizens (18 years and older) living in these areas.

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