More than 80% of Ukrainians would vote for Ukraine to join the European Union (EU) and NATO if such a referendum were held in the near future. This is shown by the results of a sociological survey by the Razumkov Center, conducted from September 20 to 26, 2024, reports UNIAN.
"If a referendum on Ukraine's accession to the European Union were to be held in the near future, 81% of the respondents would participate in it (from 63% of the residents of the Southern region to 90% of the residents of the Western region).
Before the start of the war - in November-December 2021 - 69% of respondents declared their intention to participate in such a referendum. 88% of them would vote for membership, 8% - against. In November-December 2021 - they were 78% and 18%, respectively.
According to the survey, 96% of the residents of the Western region, who will participate in the referendum, expressed their intention to join the EU (3% against), in the Central region - 90% and 5.5%, respectively, in the Eastern region - 81% and 13%, respectively, in Yuzhny - 69% and 20%, respectively.
"If a referendum on Ukraine's accession to NATO were held in the near future, 82% of respondents would participate in it (from 68% of residents of the Southern region to 91% of residents of the Western region). In November-December 2021, 67% of respondents declared their intention to participate in such a referendum. 86% of those intending to participate in such a referendum would vote for accession (against - 10%), in November-December 2021 - 70% and 24.5%, respectively, the survey results indicate.
95% of the residents of the Western region, who will participate in the referendum, vote for joining NATO (against - 2%), in the Central region - 88.5% and 8.5% respectively, in the Eastern - 78% and 16%, respectively in the south - 64% and 26% respectively.
A total of 2016 respondents over the age of 18 were surveyed.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, however, has a problem with his expectations of an invitation to join NATO, as some of the alliance's key members are reluctant to let that happen as they would be drawn into a war with Russia.
In an interview with POLITICO, outgoing US Ambassador to NATO Julian Smith underscores the American position. "To date, the Alliance has not reached the point where it is ready to offer membership or an invitation to Ukraine," she said.
Germany and the US are among the major powers slow to heed Zelensky's call for an immediate invitation to join NATO, according to four US and NATO officials and diplomats who spoke on condition of anonymity to share recent internal discussions.
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In his Victory Plan, Zelensky demanded an immediate invitation, but admitted that actual joining the alliance would only be possible after the end of the war with Russia. Zelensky insisted this week that it is "fundamental" for Ukraine "to receive an invitation during the war".
Zelensky admitted that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz - a major military supplier to Ukraine, with weapons supplies second only to America - would not support him for a quick invitation to join NATO.
"I have a very good relationship with Scholz. I am grateful that Scholz is helping. Germany is second in terms of support, Zelensky told reporters earlier this week. But it is a fact that the German side is skeptical about our joining NATO. We will all have to work a lot with the German side. But nevertheless, the United States will have an influence on it."
Hungary and Slovakia are also against it, but for different reasons. Their current leaders take a generally pro-Kremlin line, such as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who blocked EU funds for arming Ukraine and quit NATO's program to send lethal aid to Kiev.
There are other countries that are unwilling to act quickly on Kiev's request, but are "hiding in the shadows".
"Countries like Belgium, Slovenia or Spain are behind the USA and Germany. They are reluctant,'' one NATO official said. A second official said the parties "support it in the abstract, but as it gets closer to materializing," they will begin to oppose the idea more publicly.
This puts them at odds with countries like the Baltics and Poland, which are more enthusiastic.