55% of Ukrainians oppose territorial concessions to achieve peace, poll finds.

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The number of Ukrainians opposed to territorial concessions to Russia in exchange for peace has continued to fall in recent months, reaching 55% in May, according to a poll released by the Kyiv International Institute for Sociology (KIIS) on July 23. Similar KIIS polls conducted in February and December 2023 found that 65% and 74% were opposed, respectively. Correspondingly, the number of respondents who said they would accept ceding territory in order to "achieve peace and preserve independence" has risen to 32% in May, the poll found.

There was some geographical variation in the results, with the highest level of opposition to any kind of territorial concession coming from the west of the country (60%) and the lowest from the south (46%). When asked about a possible set of acceptable conditions for peace, the highest number of respondents (62%) said that a situation in which Ukraine regains all occupied territories and becomes a member of the EU but refuses to join NATO would have the broadest level of support. Another proposal, in which Ukraine de facto ceded control of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, as well as Crimea, but regained full control of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts and joined NATO and the EU, came in second place at 53%.

Despite the shifting attitudes over territorial concessions over time, "Ukrainians are against "peace on any terms,'" said KIIS Director Anton Hrushetskyi.

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The notion of offering territorial concessions in exchange for peace has continued to be controversial in Ukraine. Many fear that such a move would only create a temporary cessation of fighting that would, in turn, allow Russia to reconstitute its forces and lead to a resumption of the war in the future. There is also increasing external pressure on Ukraine to accept territorial concessions as a means of securing a ceasefire.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has repeatedly touted a plan to bring the war to an immediate end if he wins in November. The plan reportedly involves ceding territory to Russia, though Trump has provided minimal details on the specifics of his proposal. Trump will run alongside his vice presidential running mate, Senator JD Vance, who is thought to be an even more outspoken opponent of U.S. support for Ukraine, and has openly endorsed territorial concessions as part of a potential peace deal.

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