The willingness to support Ukraine “until victory” has fallen sharply in Western Europe on the eve of Donald Trump's return to the White House, which raises questions about the future of American military aid to Kyiv. This was written by The Guardian, reported by UNN.
December's YouGov poll in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Denmark and the UK showed that the public's desire to support Ukraine until victory - even if it means the war continues - has fallen in all seven countries over the past 12 months.
Support for a negotiated end to hostilities, even if it leaves Russia in control of part of Ukraine, has increased in every country. According to the survey, in four countries this option was the most desirable.
The poll showed that the willingness to support Ukraine until it defeats Russia remains high in Sweden (50%) and Denmark (40%), and in the UK (36%), but these figures are down 14 points from January's figures of 57%, 51% and 50%.
During the same period, the percentage of respondents who prefer a negotiated peace increased to 55% from 45% in Italy, 46% (38%) in Spain, 43% (35%) in France, and 45% (38%) in Germany, accompanied by a corresponding drop in readiness to support Ukraine until victory.
It is unclear whether this shift reflects a decline in interest or growing fatigue. In France, Germany, and Sweden, the share of those who want Ukraine to win and care about it has remained stable since the beginning of 2023, although in other countries it has declined.
Less than a month after Trump's return, a majority or almost a majority of respondents in all but one country believe that the US president-elect is likely to stop supporting Ukraine: 62 percent of Germans, 60 percent of Spaniards, 56 percent of Britons, 52 percent of French, and 48 percent of Italians.
Respondents were less confident that Trump would withdraw the United States from the NATO defense alliance: Danes, Germans, Italians, Spaniards, and Swedes believe this will not happen, while the opinions of the British and French are equally divided.
People are also divided on how they would feel about a peaceful settlement that would leave Russia in control of at least some of the parts of Ukraine it illegally seized after invading in February 2022, as Trump reportedly plans.
The majority of respondents in Sweden (57%), Denmark (53%) and the UK (51%), as well as a significant minority (43%) in Spain, said they would have a very or somewhat negative attitude to such an agreement, while in France, 37%, and in Germany and Italy, 31%.
The poll showed that the majority of Western Europeans believe that Ukraine's allies have not done enough, both in terms of economic sanctions against Moscow and military and other assistance to Kyiv.
About 66% of Danes, 63% of Swedes and Spaniards, 59% of Britons, 53% of Germans and Italians, and 52% of French said that overall assistance to Ukraine was either not quite or almost not enough. However, only a few believe that their country should increase its support.
Minorities - ranging from 29% in Sweden, 21% in the UK and Germany, 14% in France, and only 11% in Italy - believe that their government should increase aid to Ukraine, with a majority of respondents in each country saying that aid should either be maintained or reduced.
As for specific measures, such as strengthening sanctions, supplying more weapons, sending more troops to support NATO members in Eastern Europe, or coordinating air strikes against Russian targets in Ukraine, support for them remained unchanged or was lower than before.
When asked what they think the situation will be like in a year's time, few Western Europeans believe that Russia or Ukraine will win, and most believe that the two countries will either still be at war or negotiating peace.
Residents of Denmark (47%), Germany (40%), Great Britain and France (38%), and Italy (36%) consider the end of the war more likely, while residents of Spain (36%) and Sweden (35%) consider the continuation of hostilities as a somewhat more likely scenario.
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