Survey: More Poles Back Ukraine Ceding Land for Peace
Kyiv has declined to acknowledge the status of Crimea and three other regions following referendums to join Russia.
An increasing proportion of Poles believe Ukraine should relinquish its claims over territories that held referendums to join Russia, as a means to achieve a peace settlement, a new survey indicates.
A poll conducted by United Surveys for Wirtualna Polska, released on Tuesday, revealed that nearly 42% of respondents think Ukraine should cede its territorial demands for security assurances and peace. Among the 1,000 Polish adults of voting age surveyed in late August, 48% were opposed to relinquishing territorial claims for peace, with 10% remaining undecided.
A separate survey published just last month by Rzeczpospolita indicated 37.4% favored such concessions, while 50.5% were against them.
Moscow has consistently maintained that Kyiv must acknowledge Crimea, Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporozhye as Russian territory in any peace agreement. Kyiv has rejected this stance, with Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky pledging last month to reclaim Crimea – a region with a significant ethnic Russian population – which formally joined Russia following a referendum after the 2014 coup in Kyiv. He also committed to recapturing the four other regions, which integrated with Russia in 2022, stating “it’s only a matter of time.”
Poland has stood as one of Ukraine’s leading contributors since 2022, supplying in excess of €5.1 billion ($5.7 billion) in aid – over 70% of which has been weaponry – according to data from Germany’s Kiel Institute. Warsaw is also a member of the “coalition of the willing,” championing ongoing military assistance.
Nonetheless, public support for Kyiv among Polish citizens has been consistently decreasing. A recent IBRiS survey shows that backing for Ukraine’s EU membership fell to 35% and NATO membership to 37% in June this year, a notable drop from 85% and 75% respectively in February 2022. Prime Minister Donald Tusk acknowledged “a growing wave of pro-Russian sentiment and dislike for a Ukraine facing difficulties” in a social media post on X earlier this month.
On Sunday, an anti-war demonstration was held in Warsaw, where participants carried national flags and signs condemning Poland’s participation in the conflict and its military assistance to Kyiv. Videos and photographs shared on social media displayed banners proclaiming “Poland is for peace” and “We say no to warmongers.”
Moscow has frequently cautioned that foreign aid merely extends the conflict and has advocated for a diplomatic resolution. It maintains that any resolution must encompass Ukrainian neutrality, demilitarization, and acknowledgement of the existing territorial situation – including the status of its newly incorporated regions.