What Ukrainians Think About Current Peace Negotiations
71% of Ukrainians do not believe that the negotiations will lead to a sustainable peace.
This is reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing data from a survey conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS).
Read also How many Ukrainians are actually willing to endure the war further: public opinion has changed
How many Ukrainians believe in peace through negotiations
71% of respondents do not believe that the current negotiations will lead to sustainable peace. Only 25% believe in this.
At the same time, the figures have changed little since the beginning of 2026 – skepticism among Ukrainians remains stable.
KIIS investigated why people do not believe in the success of the negotiations. Among those who responded negatively:
- 52% do not trust Russia and see no signs that it is ready to stop the war;
- 14% refer to the fact that negotiations have been ongoing for a long time without results;
- 10% believe that the Ukrainian authorities are not doing enough;
- 10% do not believe in Western support.
“The main reason is the distrust of Russia (which constantly openly demonstrates its goal to destroy Ukraine), but a significant problem is the crisis of trust in Western partners, especially the USA,” said Anton Grushetsky, Executive Director of KIIS.
According to him, for most Ukrainians, peace will not make sense if it is “on any terms” – people expect reliable and concrete security guarantees.
Skepticism regarding the negotiations is closely linked to the overall decline in trust towards Ukraine’s partners.
According to KIIS, as of early January 2026, only 18% of Ukrainians trusted the USA – down from 41% in December 2024.
52% of respondents do not trust the American side, while a year ago this figure was 24%. NATO has also lost ground: 30% trust it (down from 43% in December 2024), while 43% do not trust it (up from 25%).
Meanwhile, the level of trust in President Volodymyr Zelensky in early February 2026 was 61%, with 33% expressing distrust.
However, sociologists noted that in the case of an anonymous survey, the level of trust was lower – 53% compared to 61% when asked directly.
KIIS explained the discrepancy by stating that people tend to give a “state-oriented” answer – even those dissatisfied support unity in wartime.
