Europe shifts focus: Growing support for talks with Russia
It's becoming increasingly difficult to find support for unconditionally backing Ukraine in Western Europe. Research conducted by the YouGov institute, with results published in Thursday's edition of the British newspaper Guardian, shows that in four out of the seven analyzed countries, residents tend to favour initiating negotiations with Russia.
The research was conducted in December in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, and the United Kingdom. It revealed that over the past 12 months, public support for backing Ukraine to victory—even if it meant prolonging the war—has weakened in all countries.
Western Europe in favour of negotiations with Putin
The survey also showed that support for an alternative resolution to the conflict—a negotiated end to the fighting, even if it allowed Russia to control part of Ukraine—has increased in each country, and in four of them, it is the preferred option.
The survey shows that readiness to support Ukraine until defeating Russia remains relatively high in Sweden (50 percent, down from 57) and Denmark (40 percent, down from 51). In the United Kingdom, it stands at 36 percent, a decrease from a recent 50.
In Italy, support for negotiating peace increased from 45 to 55 percent, in Spain from 38 to 46 percent, in France from 35 to 43 percent, and in Germany from 38 to 45 percent. In all these countries, this is the preferred approach to the war in Ukraine.
The study showed that most Europeans from the western part of the continent believe that Ukraine's allies have not done enough, both in terms of economic sanctions against Moscow and military and other aid to Kyiv, to prevent Russia from winning the war.
However, few believed that their country should increase its support, noted the "Guardian."
