74% of Ukrainians ready to resist Russia without U.S. aid, support Zelenskyy's actions

This is according to a survey conducted by Ipsos on behalf of the British magazine The Economist.  

The Economist carried out the poll the week following the meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump, which took place on February 28.  

The survey revealed that 74% of Ukrainians support fighting Russia even without U.S. assistance. A significant majority—59% of respondents—also believe that Ukraine can defeat Russia on the battlefield, while 21% do not share this confidence.  

Ukrainians were also asked about potential concessions to end the war. The results show that among all of Russia’s demands, the only one a majority of Ukrainians are willing to accept is renouncing NATO membership—38% expressed readiness for this, while 37% opposed it.  

Meanwhile, only 6% of respondents said they were willing to make territorial concessions regarding areas occupied by Russia after the full-scale invasion in 2022. At the same time, 11% would agree to relinquish Crimea, and 27% would be willing to give up parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions occupied since 2014.

The survey shows that 80% of Ukrainians oppose the demilitarization of Ukraine. Additionally, 70% of respondents are against lowering the mobilization age, while only 17% support the idea—a contradiction noted by The Economist, given that the majority want to continue fighting. This proposal remains unpopular, mainly backed by older men.  

A majority of Ukrainians—72%—fully or partially approve of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s actions. Meanwhile, 46% of Americans approve of Donald Trump’s performance.  

Regarding elections, 62% of Ukrainians oppose holding them before martial law ends. However, 19% believe elections could take place during a ceasefire, while 14% want them as soon as possible.  

If elections were held now, 46% of respondents would vote for Zelenskyy, while 31% would support former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and current Ukrainian ambassador to the UK, Valerii Zaluzhnyi. However, The Economist notes that, due to the ongoing war, politics in Ukraine is effectively on hold, meaning these figures are theoretical and would likely change in an actual election campaign.

• An expert on international affairs and head of the All-Ukrainian Public Organization Ukraine in NATO, believes the U.S. still has ways to pressure Russia.