[72644] Survey among Ukrainian citizens: Majority of the public supports military assistance to European countries in the event of Russian aggression

Majority of the public in Ukraine: The Ukrainian Armed Forces are defending Europe

According to the findings of a new survey by Rating Group, approximately 63% of Ukrainian citizens expressed principled support for the participation of the Ukrainian army in defending Poland, Moldova, Finland, and the Baltic states (Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia) in the event of Russian aggression. The data, which was widely published on local news channels such as Times of Ukraine and ТСН новини / ТСН.ua, indicate that the highest support is directed toward Lithuania (63%) and the lowest among the list is toward Poland (58%).

In addition, approximately 73% of survey respondents stated that they view the Ukrainian Armed Forces as a force protecting not only Ukraine but Europe as a whole. According to the channel Андрющенко Time, this figure establishes the perception that Ukraine views itself as an inseparable part of the European security space. Additional channels such as UA.NEWS emphasized that there is a correlation between the level of the Ukrainians' connection to the European Union and their willingness to support military involvement in EU countries.

Alongside the broad consensus in the Ukrainian media, critical voices were heard on the Telegram channel Душная община, known for its critical line toward the government and the army. In its posts, the channel questioned the willingness of the survey respondents to actually enlist for missions overseas, noting that "decisions should be made by the fighters on the ground and not by people on the couch."