The specifics of guarantees change Ukrainians’ willingness to make concessions
Most Ukrainians reject the transfer of Donbas to Russian control – even if the US and Europe provide security guarantees in return.
This is reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing a new survey from the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology.
Also read: How many Ukrainians believe negotiations will bring peace: what the survey showed
The survey was conducted from March 1 to 8, 2026, among 1,003 respondents, according to the KII.
Two out of three are against it
62% of Ukrainians consider the transfer of the entire Donetsk region to Russia an absolutely unacceptable condition – even in exchange for security guarantees from the US and Europe.
33% would agree to such a concession, while another 5% were undecided.
Compared to mid-February, the number of those who are categorically against it has increased – at that time, it was 57%.
What happens when guarantees are specified
In February, KII conducted an experiment: if it is clearly explained that security guarantees from the US do not involve the deployment of their troops in Ukraine, closing the sky, and providing weapons for free – support for such a proposal sharply declines.
Willingness to fight depends on the stance on Donbas
KII also recorded another correlation – between attitudes towards the transfer of Donbas and the willingness to endure the war.
Among those who are categorically against surrendering Donbas:
- 67% are willing to fight as long as necessary
Among those who easily agree to a trade:
- only 26% are willing to endure until the end
This means that those who reject the transfer of Donbas are also morally more resilient to a prolonged war.
“For Ukrainians, security guarantees are a fundamental issue, and for the majority, peace will have no meaning or value if that peace is ‘on any terms’,” noted KII Executive Director Anton Grushetsky.
Earlier, RBC-Ukraine also reported that in January 2026, only 40% of Ukrainians believed that the US would provide all necessary support to repel a possible new attack from Russia as part of the promised guarantees.
At the same time, according to the same KII data, 61% of Ukrainians trust President Volodymyr Zelensky, while 33% do not trust him. The trust-distrust balance is plus 28%.
