Earth for peace? Ukrainians against territorial concessions to Russia

The majority of Ukrainians are opposed to any territorial concessions to Russia, and almost a third of the population believes that the Russian-Ukrainian war will end in 2027 or later, according to research by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KMIS).

According to the survey, 53 percent respondents categorically oppose giving up any part of Ukraine's territory, even if the war were to last longer. At the same time, 33 percent respondents declare general readiness for certain territorial losses, and 14 percent was unable to define its position.

The second KMIS survey examined expectations about when the war would end. Only 10 percent respondents expected it to end before the beginning of 2026, and 16% expected it to end in the first half of 2026. Another 12 percent indicated the second half of 2026, while 29 percent concluded that the war would end in 2027 or later. Every third respondent (33%) answered “I don't know”.

Both studies were conducted by telephone interviews between November 26 and December 29, 2025, on a random sample of 1,001 adult Ukrainian citizens living in the territory controlled by the government in Kiev. KMIS notes that in war conditions, in addition to the formal statistical error limit, additional systemic deviations are also possible. (PAP)

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