09:16 20.03.2021

Over quarter of residents of eastern, southern Ukraine support joining NATO, slightly less for cooperation without membership – poll

4 min read
Over quarter of residents of eastern, southern Ukraine support joining NATO, slightly less for cooperation without membership – poll

Some 26.3% of residents of the east and south of Ukraine are in favor of Ukraine's accession to NATO, while 39.9% are against, according to the results of a survey within the project "Perception of NATO in Donbas and South Ukraine," initiated by the "Center for International Security" and implemented with the support of the Canadian Embassy in Ukraine.

At the same time, some 22.6% of the respondents said they support cooperation with NATO, but without membership, and 11.2% found it difficult to answer this question.

The highest is the level of support for Ukraine's entry into the Alliance in the regional centers, where 29.1% of the respondents were in favor of joining NATO (37% were against, 20.1% were for cooperation, but without membership). In small towns (up to 20,000 people), urban settlements or villages, joining NATO is supported by 23.9% of respondents (39.8% are against, 27.4% are for cooperation, but without membership).

A more negative perception of Ukraine's accession to NATO among respondents who have incomplete secondary or secondary education (52.1% are against, 18.3% support, 15.5% are for cooperation, but without membership). Respondents with incomplete higher or higher education show a low level of critical attitude (34.1% are against) and a high level of support for both Ukraine's accession to NATO (32.3%) and cooperation with the Alliance without membership in it (24.4%).

The survey results show the highest level of support for Ukraine's accession or rapprochement with NATO among respondents aged 18 to 29 (41% support, 22% are for cooperation, but without membership, 22% are against). The most critical assessment of Ukraine's accession to NATO is expressed by respondents whose age is 60 and over (56.2% are against, 18.6% support, 14.5% are for cooperation, but without membership).

Men are more supportive of the idea of joining NATO (30.8% are for, 22.3% are for cooperation, but without membership, 38% are against). Among women, 22.5% were in favor of joining the Alliance, 23% were in favor of cooperation, but without membership, while 41.5% were against.

The highest rates of critical attitude towards the idea of Ukraine's accession to NATO are shown by respondents with an unsatisfactory financial situation. Among those who often do not have money even for food, some 64% were against joining the Alliance (10.1% were for, 12.4% were for cooperation, but without membership). Among those who live in full prosperity, some 41.1% do not support the idea of joining NATO, some 36.8% are in favor of joining and 21.1% are for cooperation, but without membership.

Some 84.4% of respondents partially or completely perceive Ukraine's membership in the Alliance as expensive. The overwhelming majority of respondents partially or completely agree that the accession or rapprochement of Ukraine with the Alliance will lead to an escalation (strengthening) of the conflict with Russia (82.5%). Some 81.9% of respondents fear the deployment of NATO military bases on the territory of Ukraine, some 79.9% fear Ukraine's obligations to send its military to "hot spots" and 78.7% fear violations of Ukraine's neutrality.

Some 64.7% of respondents partially or completely agree that Ukraine's membership in NATO will be a step on Ukraine's path to the European Union, while 59.6%, partially or completely, agree that joining the Alliance will help attract investment to Ukraine.

Some 58% of respondents said "they know something about NATO, but not enough," while 17% were "well informed," some 18% "know practically nothing" and some 7% said they "are not interested in this information at all."

The sociological survey was conducted by the Center for Applied Research on February 22 to March 3, 2021 in Zaporizhia, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Kherson regions, as well as in the controlled territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions in the form of a questionnaire survey, in the form of personal interviews using the "face to face" method using electronic media. Some 1,112 respondents aged 18 and over were interviewed. The error does not exceed 3%.

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