According to a survey conducted by the Gallup polling company in July, 69% of Ukrainians express support for the swift conclusion of the war through negotiations. Only 24% of respondents are convinced that the fight should continue until Ukraine achieves complete victory.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Change in Public Sentiment Regarding the War
The authors of the study note that the current results demonstrate a significant shift in public opinion compared to 2022. At that time, the majority of Ukrainians (73%) insisted on the necessity of continuing the war until victory, while only 22% chose the path of negotiations for the quickest cessation of hostilities. Today, however, support for military efforts is gradually declining across all regions and demographic groups in the country.
“More than three years after the start of the war, support among Ukrainians for continuing the fight until victory has reached a new low. In the latest Gallup survey in Ukraine, conducted in early July, 69% of respondents stated that they advocate for the quickest possible conclusion of the war through negotiations, compared to 24% who support continuing the fight until victory.”
At the same time, most Ukrainians are skeptical about the possibility of a swift cessation of active hostilities. Only one in four believes that the fighting could end within the next year, and 5% consider this very likely. More than two-thirds of respondents (68%) are convinced that, for now, the cessation of the war remains unlikely.
Foreign Policy Prospects and Diplomatic Processes
The survey also showed that despite declining hopes for NATO and European Union membership, as well as a drop in approval ratings for U.S. leadership, Ukrainians continue to view the EU, the United Kingdom, and the United States as key partners for achieving peace.
On August 6, a meeting took place in Moscow between U.S. Special Representative Steve Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin. This meeting preceded the expiration of an ultimatum from U.S. President Donald Trump, which demanded that Russia establish a ceasefire with Ukraine by August 8, threatening full tariffs on imports of Russian goods to the U.S. and partner countries otherwise.
After the negotiations, Donald Trump announced “significant progress,” but noted that the conversation between Witkoff and Putin was not groundbreaking. Trump also reported a high likelihood of a personal meeting with the presidents of Ukraine and Russia — Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin.
In the Kremlin, for their part, they did not rule out the possibility of such a meeting, and Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov clarified that during the talks in Moscow, the issue of organizing a trilateral meeting involving the President of Ukraine was raised, but the Russian side did not provide any response.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, after negotiations with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on August 7, emphasized that Ukraine is open to various formats of meetings for the sake of peace.
He stressed:
“Yesterday, various potential formats for peace meetings at the leader level were discussed for the near future: two bilateral formats, one trilateral. Ukraine is not afraid of meetings and expects the same bold approach from the Russian side. It is time to end the war.”
Meanwhile, analysts from the American Institute for the Study of War warn that the Kremlin has not abandoned its intentions to subjugate Ukraine and is deliberately dragging out the negotiation process to buy time for further military actions and to gain concessions from Ukraine and Western partners.