Public support for aiding Ukraine “until victory” has weakened across Western Europe, with many citizens favoring negotiations with Russia to end the conflict, a study has found.
The public is increasingly in favor of negotiations even if it means territorial concessions, according to the YouGov survey cited by Britain’s The Guardian daily.
The study, conducted in December in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Denmark and the United Kingdom, shows a shift in attitudes over the past year.
In four of the seven countries surveyed, a negotiated settlement has become the preferred resolution to the war, despite the potential implications for Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty.
Support for backing Ukraine to a military victory has dropped significantly in most nations. Sweden (50%) and Denmark (40%) recorded the highest levels of support, although both saw declines from last year. In the U.K., support fell to 36% from 50%.
Meanwhile, the preference for negotiating peace grew across all surveyed countries.
In Italy, it rose to 55% from 45%; in Spain, to 46% from 38%; in France, to 43% from 35%; and in Germany, to 45% from 38%.
The survey also revealed widespread sentiment that Ukraine’s allies have not done enough—through economic sanctions or military aid—to decisively counter Russia’s aggression.
Despite this, few respondents supported increasing their own country’s contributions to Ukraine’s war effort, The Guardian reported.
