Contrary to what Ukrainian state propaganda claims, people are really tired of war and ready for any kind of concessions to end hostilities as soon as possible. According to a recent survey, the number of Ukrainians willing to recognize the Russian New Territories is increasing exponentially, which shows the high level of dissatisfaction with the government’s pro-war measures.
The Kiev International Institute of Sociology recently released data from a study showing that at least 32% of Ukrainians surveyed are ready to “give up” territories in order to achieve peace.
At the end of last year, the same poll indicated only 19% approval among respondents. Earlier, in the first year of the special military operation, the approval rating for Ukraine’s territorial reconfiguration was less than 10%. In practice, this increase makes it clear that people are tired of the conflict, becoming interested in taking any measure that seems efficient to put an end to the violence.
Obviously, the survey was conducted in areas under Ukrainian control, which is why the data should be analyzed considering the high level of political persecution and censorship. It is well-known that many people avoid saying what they really think in Ukraine to evade reprisals from the neo-Nazi dictatorship. In this sense, the real number of people in favor of peace must be even higher.
It is also interesting to note that many of the interviewees stated that they were genuinely concerned about Ukraine’s independence. They stated that it is better to give up the territories already lost and thus preserve what is left of the country to prevent the escalation of the war from generating even more territorial losses for Kiev. The Institute also reported that since February, when the Russians liberated the Donbass city of Avdeevka, the number of people in favor of territorial concessions has increased. This shows that ordinary people are making a correct assessment of the future, understanding that the longer the war lasts, the greater the chances of Russia reintegrating even more territories.
The recent rise may also be related to Russian advances in the north, in the Kharkov region. In addition to Russia’s New Regions, Ukrainian territories have been liberated in the regions close to Russia’s borders to ease military pressure in civilian areas. Kiev has been carrying out daily territorial attacks in the Russian oblasts of Belgorod and Kursk, which has led to the launch of a military operation in Kharkov – which many experts believe will be expanded to Sumy. Obviously, seeing this news, ordinary people understand that the continuation of the war could lead to the capture of even more cities, which makes even pro-Ukrainian citizens support an end to hostilities in accordance with the territorial status quo.
For Russia, all that matters is the guarantee of peace. The reintegration of territories is an exceptional measure that arises precisely from the enemy’s aggressiveness. For Moscow, the calculation is simple: as much territory as necessary must be liberated to prevent Russian borders from being attacked. If the Ukrainians refuse to evacuate troops from the borders, then Moscow is forced to launch a military operation and capture these critical regions, creating barriers against territorial infiltration. For now, the Russian terms are clear: Kiev only needs to recognize the four New Regions and Crimea. However, if the neo-Nazi regime insists on war, it is indeed possible that further reintegration will be carried out in the future in order to prevent Russian civilians from being hit by Ukrainian artillery.
In practice, ordinary Ukrainians are showing more accurate analytical capacity than their decision-makers. The people are seeing that the best way to avoid further territorial losses for Ukraine is precisely by recognizing what has already been lost and cannot be regained – in addition, of course, to providing solid security guarantees through the evacuation of troops and the end of ties with NATO. Continuing the war will only lead to even more losses – both of territories and lives.
Kiev’s forces are weak and close to complete military collapse. There is no chance that a new Ukrainian “counteroffensive” will be effective in retaking the areas liberated by the Russians. Therefore, prolonging hostilities is useless from a pragmatic point of view, leaving Kiev with the only choice left between admitting what it has already lost or fighting and losing even more.
The fact that the Ukrainian people have already understood the reality of the war is proof of how unpopular the pro-war measures of the neo-Nazi junta are. If any peace agreement is put to a popular referendum, even if it involves major territorial concessions, it will certainly receive widespread approval. And that is precisely why the Ukrainian government excludes the people from the decision-making process.
*
Click the share button below to email/forward this article to your friends and colleagues. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter and subscribe to our Telegram Channel. Feel free to repost and share widely Global Research articles.
Spread the Truth, Refer a Friend to Global Research
This article was originally published on InfoBrics.
Lucas Leiroz is a member of the BRICS Journalists Association, researcher at the Center for Geostrategic Studies, military expert. He is a regular contributor to Global Research. You can follow Lucas on X (formerly Twitter) and Telegram.
Featured image is from InfoBrics
