Number of Ukrainians open to territorial concessions rises to 38%, poll shows
Around 38% of Ukrainians are open to conceding some of the territories while preserving independence in order to end the war with Russia as fast as possible, according to the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) survey published on Jan. 3.
The poll comes amid growing expectations of possible peace talks in 2025 as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to bring Ukraine and Russia to the negotiating table.
The responses, collected between Dec. 2 and 17, 2024, show a moderate increase since October, when 32% of the respondents were willing to compromise on territorial integrity for a faster peace deal.
Only 19% agreed with the statement in December 2023 and 8% in December 2022, making the December 2024 figures the highest since the KIIS began the measurements in May 2022.
The all-out war, which will mark its third anniversary in less than two months, has put a massive strain on the Ukrainian state, society, and the military, while the Russian offensive has picked up pace in recent months.
Comparatively, 51% of respondents in December 2024 said that Ukraine should not give up any of its territories "under no circumstances… even if this would prolong the war and threaten the preservation of independence."
This is a drop from 58% in October 2024, 74% in December 2023, and 85% in December 2022.
The question did not specify which territories could be given up nor whether they should be officially recognized as Russian territory or "merely" remain temporarily under Russian occupation. The survey involved 2,000 respondents across Ukraine-controlled territories who were interviewed via phone.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine currently lacks the military strength to retake all of the occupied territories and that some regions, like Crimea, will have to be liberated through diplomacy.
Ukraine's head of state also acknowledged the possibility of Ukraine's "gradual" accession to NATO, with Article 5 initially not extending to occupied territories but strictly rejected recognizing Russian occupation as legitimate.
The Ukrainian military finds itself increasingly on the back foot as Russian forces continue pushing forward in Donetsk Oblast and Moscow occupies around 20% of Ukrainian territory in the east and south of the country.
Dmytro Basmat
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