Russians back war but crave peace: 78% support invasion, 60% want talks – poll

The study found that interest in Ukraine-related events increased in Russia in early 2025.

Support for Russian military actions in Ukraine remains high at 78%, with 43% “strongly supporting” and 35% “somewhat supporting” them. Meanwhile, 15% of respondents said they do not support Russia’s military actions.

Support for the war is higher among men (83%), respondents aged 55 and older (86%), wealthier individuals (82%), those who believe Russia is on the right track (90%), those who approve of dictator Vladimir Putin’s performance as president (85%), and those who trust television as their primary news source (87%).

In January, the share of Russians favoring peace talks reached its highest level since the start of the full-scale invasion, at 61%. Meanwhile, 31% said military actions should continue.

Sociologists also noted an increase in the number of respondents who believe that military actions in Ukraine will end within a year or sooner, now at 43%. Another 32% expect the conflict to last more than a year.

Despite the growing support for negotiations, 76% of respondents believe that military actions in Ukraine will end in Russia’s victory. Another 15% think neither side will achieve victory, while less than 1% believe Ukraine will prevail.

The survey was conducted from Jan. 23 to Jan. 29, 2025, among a representative sample of 1,615 Russian adults across 137 urban and rural settlements, using face-to-face interviews. The statistical margin of error does not exceed 3.4%.