More than half of Ukrainians do not consider themselves Europeans
Kyiv • UNN
According to a study by the Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation, more than half of Ukrainians do not feel a strong sense of belonging to the European community, although younger and better educated people tend to identify themselves more as Europeans.
The Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation presented a study that showed that the majority of Ukrainians (53%) feel little belonging to the European Community. The survey showed that the sense of European identity is growing among younger people, UNN reports .
A sociological survey conducted by the Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation found that 53% of Ukrainians still do not feel part of the European community or feel so to a limited extent. On the other hand, 40% of respondents said they feel like Europeans to a certain extent.
This indicates that Ukraine's integration into the European community is not yet complete, and many people do not perceive European culture and values as their own. The feeling of being a European is higher among younger people, those with higher education, those with higher income, and those living in the western regions of Ukraine
For many, the European Union is associated with freedom of travel, higher quality of life, economic prosperity and social security. 49% of respondents associate the EU with the possibility of free movement, education and employment, and 44% - with improving the quality of life for future generations.
Also, 39% associate the EU with economic prosperity, and 35% with social security.Despite positive attitudes toward the EU, Ukrainians express caution about the division of sovereignty. 48% of respondents oppose the idea of Ukraine's foreign policy being determined by EU bodies. With regard to defense policy, 45.6% also do not support its determination at the EU level.
Compared to other international institutions, the EU has the highest level of trust among Ukrainians, with 60% of respondents saying they trust it. This is significantly higher than the level of trust in the US government (37%) and significantly higher than in their own national government (31%).
These data emphasize the complexity of Ukraine's integration into the European community and the need for further development of relations against the backdrop of pan-European ambitions and challenges
Recall
According to the latest Eurobarometer poll by the European Parliament, three out of four EU citizens (74%) approve of the EU's support for Ukraine after Russia's invasion, including 33% who "strongly approve" and 41% who "somewhat approve".
