Ukraine among only two nations prioritizing nuclear arms as deterrent
Ukrainians want a nuclear bomb (Getty Images)
In almost all countries around the world, people say that the best way to protect against foreign threats is to strengthen international partnerships. Ukraine is an exception, according to the Democracy Perception Index by the Alliance of Democracies Foundation.
Ukraine is one of only two countries in the world where the majority of residents consider maintaining or developing nuclear weapons as the most important deterrence priority. The other is Jamaica.
"Strengthening alliances" is the top priority in 87 out of 100 countries, often by a wide margin. Even in countries with a high perception of threat, the public prefers defense through alliances rather than increasing defense spending, relying on nuclear deterrence, or, even more so, implementing mandatory military service.
None of the surveyed countries consider mandatory military service the top priority.
A few exceptions include countries like China, Poland, and Turkey, where strengthening national military power ranks first.
Most people around the world are not very concerned about the possibility of an attack from another country. The highest levels of concern are observed in areas with active or recent conflict, including Ukraine, Georgia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as in parts of the Middle East, South Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa.
In contrast, levels of concern are noticeably lower in the United States and China, as well as in Northern European countries such as Sweden, Finland, and Norway.
The "Democracy Perception Index" survey was conducted from April 9 to April 23 by the research company Nira Data. The study was commissioned by the Alliance of Democracies Foundation. A total of 111,000 respondents were surveyed across 100 countries.
As a reminder, in November 2024, The Times reported that Ukraine could build a nuclear bomb within a few months if the United States reduces its aid.
According to a Kyiv International Institute of Sociology survey, Ukrainians generally support the restoration of nuclear weapons, which Ukraine gave up 30 years ago under the Budapest Memorandum.
