02.10.2019
Attitudes of Ukrainians towards the occupied territories issue solution
- According to a survey conducted by Rating Group, 68% of respondents consider Russia to be an aggressor state toward Ukraine. 23% hold the opposite view, and 10% were undecided.
Attitudes differ by region and electoral preference: in the West and Center, at least 70% regard Russia as an aggressor; in the South, about 50% do so; in the East, only 40% agree with this statement, while 47% disagree. Among supporters of parliamentary political parties, a distinctly different view prevails among supporters of the Opposition Platform – For Life, where about two-thirds do not consider Russia an aggressor. - More than half of respondents support non-military approaches to resolving the issue of occupied Donbas:
34% favor ending hostilities and recognizing these territories as temporarily occupied, effectively freezing the conflict;
23% support granting these territories autonomous status within Ukraine.
At the same time, 23% favor continuing military actions until full restoration of Ukrainian control over Donbas, and only 6% support separation of these territories from Ukraine.
Military solutions receive the greatest support in the West, while granting autonomy finds more support in the South and East. By electoral preference, support for autonomy is highest among supporters of Opposition Platform – For Life, whereas military solutions are most supported by voters of European Solidarity and Holos. - 55% support the deployment of UN peacekeepers in occupied Donbas without a Russian contingent; 26% oppose it.
53% support holding local elections in the non-government-controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions after Ukraine regains control over the entire occupied territory; 19% oppose.
43% support local elections in these areas under OSCE supervision, while 27% oppose. - Several initiatives related to occupied Donbas do not enjoy public support:
Amnesty for members of illegal armed groups fighting on the side of the so-called “DPR/LPR” is opposed by 48% and supported by 27%.
Granting local councils the right to form “people’s militia” units is opposed by 43% and supported by 27%.
Deploying UN peacekeepers including a Russian contingent is opposed by 61% and supported by only 17%. - Two-thirds of respondents were unable to assess the peace initiative known as the “Steinmeier Formula.” 23% opposed it, while 18% supported it.
- Initiatives such as holding elections in non-controlled territories under any conditions, amnesty for illegal armed formations, and granting the right to form people’s militia units receive relatively higher support in the eastern regions and among supporters of Opposition Platform – For Life.
In contrast, deploying UN peacekeepers without a Russian contingent is more strongly supported in the West and Center.
Deploying UN peacekeepers with a Russian contingent does not receive majority support in any macro-region.
Methodology
- Audience: residents of Ukraine aged 18 and older. The sample is representative in terms of age, gender, region, and settlement type.
- Total sample: 2000 respondents.
- Personal formalized interview (face-to-face).
- The margin of error does not exceed 2.2%.
- Fieldwork dates: September 21-25, 2019
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