Ukrainian Support for Fighting On Falls to 24% as Negotiated Peace Gains Favor

Public support in Ukraine for pursuing an outright military victory over Russia has eroded sharply, according to a new nationwide survey released this week. Only 24% of respondents say Kyiv should keep fighting until it retakes all occupied territory, down from 73% recorded in 2022. The share of Ukrainians favoring a negotiated settlement has risen to 69%, while just one quarter expect the conflict to end soon. Confidence that Ukraine will join NATO in the near term also dropped to 32% from 64% three years ago. The shift in Ukrainian attitudes coincides with softening confidence in the United States about President Donald Trump’s handling of the war as he prepares to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. A Pew Research Center poll of 3,554 U.S. adults conducted 4-10 August found 40% are at least somewhat confident in Trump’s decision-making on the conflict, down five percentage points from a year earlier. A plurality, 59%, say they are not confident.