Most Ukrainians reject trading Donbas for security guarantees, new poll finds
Most Ukrainians oppose giving up territory in exchange for security guarantees. (Photo: REUTERS/Alina Smutko)
A majority of Ukrainians — 52% — categorically reject the
idea of handing over the entire Donbas to Russia in exchange for security
guarantees, while 9% say they would easily agree to such a deal, and another
31% are prepared to accept it as a difficult compromise, according
to a new survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS).
Researchers noted that public opinion on the issue has
remained largely unchanged since mid-January.
Only 4% of respondents believe the war will end in the
coming weeks, while 16% expect it to conclude during the first half of 2026.
Another 18% anticipate it ending in the second half of the year, but 43%
believe the war will continue into 2027 or beyond. Meanwhile, 65% said they are
ready to endure the war for as long as necessary — up from 62% in both
September and December 2025.
The poll also shows growing support for Ukrainian strikes on
non-military targets inside Russia, while an overwhelming majority continues to
back strikes on Russian territory in general.
The survey was conducted via computer-assisted telephone
interviews (CATI) using randomly generated mobile numbers and statistical
weighting. It included 1,003 adult respondents (18 and older) living in
government-controlled areas of Ukraine. Residents of temporarily occupied
territories were excluded.
On Jan. 16, KIIS reported that most Ukrainians continue to
believe the country can sustain effective resistance at the front despite
ongoing Russian advances.
U.S. security guarantees — recent developments
On Jan. 28, U.S. officials told Kyiv that receiving security
guarantees from Washington would require Ukraine to sign a peace agreement with
Russia, according to a source familiar with the discussions.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Jan. 22,
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the document
outlining U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine was complete and awaiting
presidential signatures.
In his remarks, Zelenskyy stressed that no security
guarantees would be viable without the United States. He added that France and
the United Kingdom had expressed willingness to send troops to Ukraine — but
only after the war ends.
In December 2025, Zelenskyy said Ukraine was working with
U.S. and European partners on three separate agreements concerning national
security and postwar reconstruction.
On Jan. 12, he said he had instructed his team to finalize and submit the U.S. security guarantees proposal for top-level review, calling it “a document of historic significance.”
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