13:37 19.03.2015

Support for joining EU rises one year after Revolution of Dignity – poll

2 min read

After the Revolution of Dignity the number of Ukrainians who support joining the Eurasian Customs Union has fallen almost threefold, according to the results of the poll conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) through February 14-24.

According to the poll, the number of supporters of joining the Eurasian Customs Union dropped from 35% to 12% when compared to September, 2013. The number of supporters of joining the EU grew from 41% to 47%, and the number of those who don't want to join either increased from 9% to 27%.

"It means that the changes that happened to people's views had two results: a part of the people changed their mind in favor of the pro-European integration course, and another part are the people condemning Russia's actions, but don't support joining the EU and now are inclined towards Ukraine's independent course," reads the statement issued by the KIIS.

According to the poll, 50.7% of respondents would vote to join the EU at a referendum, 25.7% – would vote against, and another 23.6% wouldn’t vote or haven't decided yet. Therefore, if a referendum for joining the EU had taken place in February, 76.4% of people would have voted. Their votes would have been divided as follows: 66.4% would have voted in favor, 33.6% – against joining the EU.

The KIIS said that pro-European sentiment in Ukraine increased after February 2014, meaning the rise was mostly due to Russian aggression and not the Euromaidan events.

A total of 2,013 respondents over 18 years old were surveyed in 108 populated areas of all the regions of Ukraine, except for Crimea. The poll was conducted in Donetsk and Luhansk regions in both Ukrainian and militant controlled territory.

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