44% of Ukrainians support starting negotiations with Russia, new poll finds

The News

More than two in five Ukrainians support starting official peace negotiations with Russia, a poll published on Monday has found, as international and domestic concerns grow about Ukraine’s ability to win outright on the battlefield.

The poll, conducted by the Ukraine-based think tank Razumkov Center and local newspaper Mirror of the Week, found 44% of 2,027 respondents wanted to open talks to end the war. Another 35% said it was not time to negotiate yet, while 21% were unsure.

The results reflect waning optimism for a lasting peace: More than 80% of respondents said Putin would only agree to an end on his terms, and an overwhelming majority described those terms as unacceptable.

Other recent polls have found a growing desire to negotiate to end the war. But experts at the Carnegie Endowment said that data should not be interpreted as Ukrainians being willing to give up. Most Ukrainians who want to negotiate envision talks beginning after Kyiv has gained a position of strength on the battlefield, they argued, based on separate polling data.

Zelenskyy is doubling down on diplomacy. On Monday, he proposed a new peace summit in November, where Russia would also be represented. Russia does not plan to attend the summit.