Even though the majority of Ukrainians insist Kyiv will defeat Russia in the war, Europeans are more skeptical, according to a study by the European Council on Foreign Relations published Wednesday.
The survey, which comes just before a four-day NATO summit that starts Sunday in Washington, D.C., and was conducted in Ukraine and 14 EU nations, found Europeans tend to believe that Kyiv will not beat Russia on the battlefield.
Other results from the survey show:
- About one third to half of those surveyed say the war will end in a negotiated settlement, and up to 31% in Greece view a Russian victory as most likely. Of the EU nations surveyed, only in Estonia was a Ukraine victory the prevailing view (38%).
- In contrast, 58% of Ukrainians remain confident their troops can emerge victorious, and that they can continue to count on the support of their international allies. Only 1% of Ukrainians believe Russia will win the war, while 30% view a negotiated settlement as the most likely outcome.
- The study also revealed significant differences of opinion among EU nations on how to bolster the defense of Ukraine and on Kyiv's EU and NATO accession. NATO leaders are "unlikely to find domestic support for troop deployments" among member country populations, the findings revealed (country results ranged from 4% to 22% in favor).
- On defense spending, the data showed that most nations are against contributions –the exceptions being Poland (where 53% back bolstering defense spending), Estonia (45%), Sweden (41%), and Germany (40%). However, most Europeans continue to support being involved in the war in other ways — such as by giving technical assistance and by boosting the supply of weapons and ammunition.
- Only in Bulgaria (63%), Greece (54%), and Italy (53%) does the majority say boosting the supply of ammunition and arms to Ukraine is a "bad idea."
- Europeans are also divided on the benefits of admitting Ukraine to the EU. The most supportive nations are Portugal, Estonia, Sweden, Spain, and Poland, while the most skeptical are Germany, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, and France.
- Among Ukrainians, 64% say that EU membership is as crucial as NATO membership to the future of their country.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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