Ukraine joining NATO only within Kyiv-controlled territories supported by 40% of citizens, survey
Ukraine joining NATO only within Kyiv-controlled territories supported by 40% of citizens (Getty Images)
The idea of Ukraine joining NATO only for the territories under Kyiv's control is unacceptable for more than half of the surveyed Ukrainians (53%), according to a survey conducted by Rating Group.
"At the same time, 40% of respondents fully or rather support this idea: residents of the western regions and the capital are relatively more likely to take such a step, as are middle-aged people. Instead, the residents of the East, Center, and South, as well as the oldest people, support this idea to the least extent," the statement says.
Even among supporters of Ukraine's accession to NATO, only 44% support this idea, while 51% are against it.
The survey was conducted on November 22-23, 2023, among 1000 respondents in all regions, except the temporarily occupied territories of Crimea and Donbas, as well as areas where Ukrainian mobile communication was unavailable at the time of the survey. The margin of error for the representativeness of the study with a confidence level of 0.95 is no more than 3.1%.
Background
In August, the Chief of Staff of the NATO Secretary-General, Stian Jenssen, stated that Ukraine could join NATO by giving up the territories occupied by Russia. Later, Jenssen admitted that his words were a mistake.
As of the end of November, 78% of respondents would vote for Ukraine's accession to the EU if a referendum took place, slightly less than in July of this year (85%). Support for the country's NATO membership is also declining, standing at 77% (compared to 83% in July).
According to the KMIS survey, 54% of Ukrainians believe that membership in NATO is currently a higher priority, while 24% prefer EU membership. The two main motives for Ukraine's entry into the EU are ensuring long-term security (59%) and economic prospects (57%).
