KYIV. March 23 (Interfax-Ukraine) – About 60% of Ukrainians support the initiative to deploy the UN peacekeeping mission throughout the entire region of the ORDLO, up to the border with Russia, according to a survey conducted by the Center for Social Studies Sofia.

"The majority of the respondents (55.5%) consider the proposal to place UN peacekeepers on the collision line between the belligerents to ensure a ceasefire, consider it unacceptable - 28.4%, while 16.1% find it difficult to answer," head of sociological programs of the Sofia Center Oleksandr Levtsun said, presenting the results of the poll titled "Public request for renewal of power" at a press conference in the Interfax-Ukraine agency on Friday.

He said: "Even more citizens support the deployment of UN peacekeeping forces throughout the occupied territory [Donbas], right up to the border with Russia, to ensure complete cessation of hostilities and the disarmament of militants. Some 59.9% of respondents consider this idea acceptable."

According to the poll, this offer is considered unacceptable by 24.1%, it was difficult to answer for 16.0% of respondents.

At the same time, according to the results of the poll, the population is rather reserved about the proposal to introduce a temporary UN administration into the territory of the ORDLO with the support of the peacekeeping forces in order to prevent a humanitarian crisis, ensure law and order and conduct elections to local authorities. This position is supported by 47.7%, it is considered unacceptable by 30.5%, while 21.8% found it difficult to answer.

The survey was conducted from March 9 to 16 March, 2018 in all areas that are controlled by Ukraine. Some 2,010 respondents aged over 18 were interviewed. The sampling error does not exceed 2.2%.