Most Ukrainians Support the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Participation in Defending European Countries Against russia: Poll Results

More than 60% of Ukrainians would support the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ participation in defending the Baltic states in the event of a russian attack, according to a new study by the “Rating” Sociological Group. Find out how responses were distributed across the six countries and how Ukraine’s self-assessment has changed over the years of full-scale war

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The vast majority of Ukrainians would support the Armed Forces’ participation in defending neighboring countries in the event of a russian attack. These findings were released by the “Rating” Sociological Group following a new special survey. The survey covered six countries where russia could theoretically launch an armed aggression: Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Moldova, Finland, and Poland.

Read also: Russia is preparing strikes on Kyiv — is it safe to stay in the capital, and what do tourists need to know?

How were the responses distributed for each country?

More than half of the respondents would support the participation of Ukrainian troops in the defense of each of the six countries. The Baltic states received the highest support:

● Lithuania: 63% — would support, 33% — would not

● Latvia: 62% — would support, 33% — would not

● Estonia: 61% — would support, 33% — would not

● Moldova: 60% — would support, 35% — would not

● Finland: 59% — would support, 33% — would not

● Poland: 58% would support it, 37% would not

Despite certain differences, the overall trend is clear: support for the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ participation in the defense of allies consistently exceeds 58% across all six countries.

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The Ukrainian Armed Forces are defending Europe — that is the view of three-quarters of Ukrainians

Researchers also investigated how citizens themselves view the army. Three-quarters of Ukrainians — 73% — are convinced that the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) defend not only Ukraine but all of Europe. It is telling that this figure remains unchanged compared to a similar study four years ago, that is, during the active phase of the full-scale invasion.

EU supporters are more likely to back military aid to allies

Sociologists identified a clear pattern: attitudes toward the Armed Forces’ participation in defending allies directly correlate with respondents’ views on European integration.

Among those who would vote “yes” to Ukraine’s EU membership, 73% expressed support for providing military aid to Estonia. In contrast, among opponents of EU accession, only 37% would support such participation, while 61% answered “no.”

An even more pronounced gap emerges when considering emotional identification with the EU. Among those who strongly identify with the EU, 85% would support providing military aid to Estonia. Among those who hardly identify with the EU, only 35% would support it, while 58% are categorically opposed.

Ukraine’s Self-Assessment: From Outsider to Leader

In a separate section, researchers examined citizens’ self-perception of the country. The results are striking: in 2026, 40% of Ukrainians consider Ukraine a leader among European nations.

For comparison: in January 2022, before the start of the full-scale invasion, only 8% of citizens thought so.

At the same time, the share of those who consider Ukraine an “outsider” dropped from 49% to 21% over the same period. In other words, Ukraine’s self-assessment as a state has changed dramatically over the past four years.

Tip: Foreign journalists, diplomats, volunteers, and ordinary people entering Ukraine should ensure they have reliable protection: medical insurance covering war risks for foreign citizens can be obtained through the Visit Ukraine platform.

We remind you! Russian attacks on infrastructure have led to a reduction in Ukrzaliznytsia’s rolling stock—hundreds of railcars have been destroyed or damaged. Against this backdrop, the summer season promises a record shortage of seats, with up to six people vying for a single ticket. Read about how many railcars have been destroyed and what the carrier advises.

Photo: Freepik

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