Most Ukrainians do not agree to hand over the whole of Donbas to Russian control in exchange for security guarantees from the US and Europe. Meanwhile, 62% are ready to endure the war as long as necessary, and most do not expect it to end soon.
This is evidenced by the survey results of the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS).
Are Ukrainians ready to compromise on Donbas for peace
61% of respondents consider the proposal to withdraw Ukrainian troops from Donbas in exchange for security guarantees from the US and Europe as categorically unacceptable. 35% of respondents are willing to agree to such an option, while 4% are undecided.
Compared to the end of July — early August, there have been no statistically significant changes in Ukrainians’ attitudes towards this proposal.
KIIS also compared the responses of survey participants depending on the date the interview was conducted. Among those surveyed on October 8–9, before the announcement of the “diesel deal” and subsequent pressure on Ukraine, 57% were categorically against handing over Donbas, while among respondents from October 10–16 — 62%.
In all regions of Ukraine, half or the majority of those surveyed reject the idea of withdrawing troops from Donbas in exchange for security guarantees. In the East, mainly in the Kharkiv region, relatively the most are open to such a compromise — 45%. Meanwhile, 51% of residents in this region are categorically against it. In other regions, this indicator ranges from 60–66%.
In Kyiv, 66% of respondents categorically disagree with such a compromise. According to KIIS, this is the highest figure among all regions.
When do Ukrainians expect the war to end
Only 10% of respondents hope that the war will end by the end of 2026. Another 13% expect its end in the first half of 2027.
Meanwhile, 56% of respondents believe that the war will last at least until the second half of 2027. Another 21% could not determine a forecast.
Despite expectations of a prolonged war, 62% of Ukrainians stated they are ready to endure it as long as necessary. Another 4% are ready to withstand the war for about a year, and 21% named a shorter period — from several months to half a year. The remaining 13% are undecided.
Compared to mid-September, these indicators have not changed. Among those surveyed on October 8–9, 60% expressed readiness to endure the war as long as necessary, and among those surveyed on October 10–16 — 63%. KIIS notes that this difference is within the statistical error margin.
Additionally, 92% of respondents believe that Russia strikes Ukraine’s economic targets to destroy its economy, make the population’s life unbearable, and force the country to capitulate. Meanwhile, 5% share a different interpretation of the Russian attacks: 3% view them as a response to Ukrainian strikes on Russian economic targets, and 2% are convinced that Russia only attacks military-related targets.
Commenting on the results, KIIS Executive Director Anton Hrushetsky noted that Ukrainians strive for peace but are not ready to accept conditions that involve unilateral concessions and restrictions on Ukraine’s sovereignty. In his opinion, the survey results show that Russian attacks and partner pressure have not yet changed the majority of Ukrainians’ attitude towards a possible withdrawal of troops from Donbas.
The KIIS survey was conducted from October 8–16, 2026, using the CATI telephone interview method based on a random mobile number sampling. It involved 1031 adult Ukrainian citizens living in government-controlled territories.
