As of 2024, most Europeans continue to express support for the Ukrainian people. This is reflected in various aspects, including support for arms supplies to Ukraine, protection of the rights of Ukrainian refugees, and support for Ukraine's membership in the EU. Learn more about the support of Europeans

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According to a survey by Eupinions, an independent platform for European public opinion, Europeans show significant support for Ukraine. For example, 55% of respondents support the supply of weapons to Ukraine, recognizing the need to help the country preserve its sovereignty and security.

In total, the survey covered almost 13,000 EU citizens. It was conducted in December 2023. The researchers note that the data is representative of Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and Spain.

Read more about European attitudes towards the war in Ukraine in the article.

Ukraine's integration into the European Union

The survey showed that 60% of Europeans believe that Ukraine should become a member of the European Union in the coming years. This reflects a positive attitude toward Ukraine's further integration into the European community and support for its efforts to implement reforms and strengthen democracy.  In particular, in Germany, the majority (52%) opposes the idea of Ukraine's accession to the EU.

Political Orientation Divisions in Europe

The political orientation of Europeans is almost equally divided between the "left" and the "right," with 49% of citizens considering themselves "left" and 51% "right." The majority of respondents, 59%, consider themselves to be in the political center, including those who consider themselves to be center-left and center-right. Among the countries where the "right" prevails to a greater or lesser extent are Belgium, France, Italy and the Netherlands, while the "left" prevails in Germany and Spain. In Poland, there is an even split in terms of political orientation, with 50% of respondents considering themselves "left" and the other 50% "right".

Support for Ukrainian refugees

According to the study, the majority of those who consider themselves "left-wing" (54%) support the idea of accepting Ukrainian refugees into their countries. At the same time, only 39% of respondents on the "right" support this statement. In the Netherlands, on the contrary, 54% of the "right" and 46% of the "left" support this statement.

The largest "split" between citizens with different political beliefs is observed in Poland, and the smallest - in France.

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Common defense policy of the EU

The majority of respondents, namely 87%, support the need for a common defense policy of the European Union. The lowest level of support for this statement was found in France, where only 81% of respondents support this idea, and the highest level of support was found in Spain, where 94% of respondents support this statement.

It should be noted that support for the EU's common defense policy is distributed evenly across the political spectrum with a slight bias toward the center.

Support for arms supplies to Ukraine

The researchers note a slight weakening of support for arms supplies to Ukraine. While 55% of Europeans agree that their countries should provide such support, in Italy this figure is 60%, indicating a more opposed attitude to arms supplies.

In terms of political orientation, 53% of Europeans who consider themselves to be on the "left" support the provision of weapons to Ukraine. In contrast, 54% of the "right" are in opposition to this. This indicates that views on the supply of weapons to Ukraine are partly determined by political beliefs.

Effectiveness of sanctions against russia

Most Europeans believe that economic and financial sanctions against russia are ineffective. According to the survey, this sentiment is most pronounced in France, where 63% of respondents share this opinion. However, it is worth noting that in the Netherlands, the opinion that sanctions are ineffective is less widespread, as only 52% of respondents believe they are ineffective.

These results indicate a general spread of doubts about the effectiveness of sanctions pressure on russia among Europeans, but the level of support for this opinion may vary depending on the country of residence of the respondents.

Attitudes towards Ukraine's reconstruction

Across Europe, 59% of respondents believe that the European Union will face an economic burden as a result of Ukraine's recovery rather than an economic opportunity (41%). This belief is most widespread in Germany (69%) and less widespread in Italy (52%). The majority of those who express reservations about Ukraine's recovery are supporters of the right-wing political orientation (although in Poland and Spain, left-wing orientations prevail).

The researchers note that, despite initial expectations, support for Ukraine among the European Union countries has been maintained over time and does not show a rapid decline.

We remind you! The European Union has hosted more than 4 million Ukrainian refugees since the beginning of the full-scale war in Ukraine. Despite the large number of IDPs, EU countries continue to accept citizens in need. Read more about which countries still provide temporary residence on their territory and what conditions they offer for Ukrainians in 2024 in our previous article.

Photo: EPA/UPG

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