A total of three-quarters of Ukrainians reject the prospect of major concessions in any peace deal, he said, highlighting the challenge the president faces as he negotiates under pressure from the White House to end the war with .
She tried to oppose the original plan supported by and seen by her and her European allies as favorable to Moscow, which requires Kiev to hand over the entire eastern Donbass region and significantly curtail its military capabilities.
“Yes” to freezing the front, compromises and guarantees, no to land concessions
The survey, carried out by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS), showed that 72% of Ukrainians are ready for an agreement that would provide for the “freezing” of the current front and would include some compromises.
However, 75% felt that a Russia-friendly plan, which would involve ceding territory or limiting the size of the army without clear security guarantees, was “completely unacceptable”.
The survey was conducted between late November and mid-December and involved 547 people from Ukrainian-controlled areas.
KIIS executive director Anton Hrushetsky said public opinion had not shifted in recent months, despite growing pressure from the US.
63% ready to continue the war, reduced trust in the US
63% of Ukrainians say they are ready to continue the fight, while only 9% believe the war will end by early 2026.
Interestingly, only 21% of Ukrainians trust the US — down from 41% in December 2024, but trust in NATO also fell to 34% from 43% over the same period.
“If the security guarantees are not clear and binding … Ukrainians will not show confidence, and this will affect the general readiness to approve the corresponding peace plan,” Khrushetsky wrote.
They don’t want elections
Trump has also reinstated the call for elections in Ukraine, which is prohibited under martial law.
Zelensky, whose first term ended last year, hinted that he would be open to new elections as long as the US took over security for the venture.
However, according to the KIIS survey, only 9% of Ukrainians want elections before the fighting ends.
Confidence in Zelenskyi likely took a hit after a major corruption scandal last month, but has now returned to 61 percent following the ousting of his top adviser and pressure from the US, Hrushetsky said. “Therefore, the insistence on elections in Ukraine is perceived by the public in a critical way and is seen as an attempt to weaken the country,” he added.
