National survey was conducted by Democratic Initiatives Foundation in cooperation with the Razumkov Centre Sociological Service from June 13 to June 20, 2019 in all regions of Ukraine, with the exception of Crimea and the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk Regions. 2017 respondents from the age of 18 years onwards were interviewed. The theoretical sample error does not exceed 2.3%.

The survey was funded within the MATRA Project of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

   For comparison, the results of nationwide polls conducted by the Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation in cooperation with the Razumkov Centre and the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology in 2016-2018 are presented.

• A mere 17% of the population supports peace by forceful means in Donbas. At the same time, the majority of supporters of the forceful means are found in the West (28%) and the Center (16%) and much less in the South (8%) and East (13%). The majority of the population – 49% – believes that “for the sake of peace, it is necessary to accept compromises, but not all of them.” This opinion prevails in all regions: in the Central (51%), Eastern (50%), Southern (48%), Western (44%).
• “Peace at any price” is not supported by any party’s voters. The least “peace at any price” is supported by the voters of the parties Voice (10%) and European Solidarity (7%), most of all – by the voters of the party “Opposition Platform – For Life” (36.5%). However, the voters of this party mostly consider that “for the sake of peace we should seek a compromise solution, but not all of them” (44%).
• Citizens of Ukraine consider the majority of possible compromises that are discussed in the public space and foreseen by the Minsk Protocol to be inadmissible. The least acceptable for the citizens of Ukraine in all regions is the election under the condition of militants (unacceptable for 66% of the respondents, acceptable for 13%), full amnesty of all participants in hostilities against Ukrainian troops (unacceptable for 61%, acceptable for 15%), formation of CDDLR law enforcement bodies from local representatives only (unacceptable for 58%, acceptable for 18%). Amendment of the Constitution to grant the Russian language the status of official language (unacceptable for 54%, acceptable for 30%) is generally unacceptable for the population of Ukraine, as is the consent to special political and economic relations with temporarily uncontrolled territories (unacceptable for 53%, acceptable for 23%), enactment of a neutral and non-aligned status of Ukraine (unacceptable for 48%, acceptable for 29%).
• Public opinion on holding direct talks with the leaders of the self-proclaimed “DPR” and “LPR” was divided: 41% of citizens consider them acceptable and the same amount – 41% – consider them unacceptable. Moreover, the division of opinions has a clearly expressed regional nature: Such negotiations are mostly supported in the East (acceptable for 54%, unacceptable for 33%) and in the South (68% and 20%, respectively).  The attitude towards ending the blockade of ways and restoring trade with the “DPR” and “LPR” is also ambiguous: 34% of Ukrainians consider such an offer acceptable, 43% consider it unacceptable. However, in the regions, thoughts are divided: termination of a trade blockade is considered acceptable by 52% in the South (unacceptable for 22%) and in the East (acceptable for 47% and unacceptable for 36%). However in the West, the attitude towards this offer is totally negative: a mere 15% consider such an offer acceptable, and 54% do not think it is acceptable, the negative attitude prevails in the Central region (acceptable for 32%, unacceptable for 48%).
• The above compromises are unacceptable for the majority of voters of different political forces, with the exception of supporters of the Opposition Platform – For Life.  In particular, only these voters consider it acceptable to hold direct talks with the leaders of the “DPR” and “LPR” (75%). However, even these voters do not accept all the proposed compromises: : It is unacceptable to them, as well as for other voters, to hold local elections in the “DPR” and “LPR” under the conditions required by the militants (not acceptable for 45%, acceptable for 30%), formation of local police, courts and prosecutors in the CDDLR from local representatives only (not acceptable for 46%, acceptable for 30%), full amnesty for all participants in hostilities against Ukrainian soldiers (unacceptable for 43%, acceptable for 30%).
• Regarding the political future of the territories of the “DPR” and “LPR”, the majority of Ukrainian citizens prefer the option of returning the occupied territories under pre-war conditions (54%). Another 17% want these territories to return to Ukraine, but have more independence from Kyiv. A mere 12% of Ukrainians supports the option of autonomy as part of Ukraine, with a mere 23% of autonomy supporters in the East.   It should be emphasized that the independence of these territories or their accession to Russia is supported by a mere 4%, most of all in the East, but a mere 8%.
• “DPR” and “LPR” autonomy is mostly supported by the voters of the Opposition Platform – For Life (31%); however, the opinion of the supporters of this party is that these territories should be returned to Ukraine under the same conditions as before (35%) or “that they return to Ukraine, but have more independence from Kyiv” (20%). A mere 5.5% of the Opposition Platform – For Life voters supports the transformation of these territories into independent states, and accession to the Russian Federation is supported by less than 1%.
• Proposals for the deployment of UN peacekeeping forces into the occupied territories of the DPR and LPR are generally supported by 55.5% of the population of Ukraine, not supported by 25%, and 20% have not made their opinion yet. There are regional differences on this issue: deployment of peacekeeping forces is mostly supported in the West (74%) and Center (62%), while in the Southern and Eastern regions, opinions are mixed: in the Southern region, deployment of peacekeeping forces is supported by 38%, not supported by 34%, in the Eastern region it is supported 37%, and not supported by 42%.  The only political force whose voters oppose the deployment of peacekeeping forces is the Opposition Platform – For Life (32% of voters support the deployment of peacekeeping forces, 50% do not support it).

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Source: Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation