Support for Ukraine “until its victory” is sharply declining in Western Europe: The Guardian
Willingness to support Ukraine “until it wins” has significantly decreased in the countries of Western Europe during an important period for it, according to a new survey. In particular, the decline in this support is associated with uncertainty about future US military aid to Kyiv, which may change if Donald Trump returns to the presidency. informs The Guardian.
A YouGov survey conducted in December in seven European countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Denmark and Great Britain, shows a marked decline in the willingness to support Ukraine to a final victory, even if it means continuing the war.
At the same time, there is increasing support for the idea of ending hostilities through negotiations, even if this would leave certain territories of Ukraine under Russian control. In four out of seven countries, this scenario became dominant among the respondents.
Although some citizens express dissatisfaction with the prospect of Ukraine’s territorial concessions, at the same time, there is widespread belief that the change of administration in the US may lead to a decrease in aid to Kyiv after the inauguration of the new president in January.
According to the survey, support for Ukraine remains relatively high in Sweden and Denmark — 50% and 40%, respectively, and 36% in Great Britain. However, these figures are down significantly from the beginning of the year, when they were 57%, 51% and 50% respectively.
At the same time, the number of those who prefer negotiated peace has increased. For example, in Italy such people became 55% compared to 45% at the beginning of the year, in Spain – 46% (against 38%), in France – 43% (against 35%), and in Germany – 45% (against 38% ).
Whether this reflects war fatigue or a decline in interest in events in Ukraine remains open to question. However, in some countries, such as France, Germany and Sweden, the share of those who want Ukraine to win has remained stable since the beginning of 2023, while others have seen a decline in such sentiment.
