Peace or surrender: How Ukrainians reacted to the Kremlin’s new “plan”
16 September 14:32
The Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) has released a survey showing the attitudes of Ukrainian citizens toward various options for resolving the war, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
- 75% of Ukrainians categorically reject the Russian “peace plan”, which provides for the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donbas and the official recognition of the occupied territories as part of Russia.
- Only 17% of respondents are ready to agree to such conditions.
- 65% consider the implementation of the plan a defeat for Ukraine.
What the Russian version looks like
In its proposal, Russia demands
- recognition of the temporarily occupied Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk regions as part of the Russian Federation,
- maintaining control over parts of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions,
- ukraine’s rejection of NATO,
- reduction of the Ukrainian army,
- lifting of Western sanctions,
- official recognition of the Russian language.
Experts call this document an ultimatum rather than a peace plan.
What Ukraine and Europe offer
An alternative initiative, which would be supported by 74% of Ukrainians, looks different:
- freezing the front line without legal recognition of the territories of the Russian Federation,
- security guarantees from the US and the EU,
- stable supply of weapons and financial support,
- protection of Ukrainian skies from attacks,
- maintaining sanctions against Russia,
- ukraine’s movement towards the EU.
However, even this option is not universally appreciated by Ukrainians:
- 30% consider it a success,
- 18% consider ita failure,
- the rest remain in doubt.
Why this is important
The poll shows that Ukrainian society does not accept compromises that legalize the loss of territory or limit sovereignty. This creates a difficult environment for diplomatic maneuvers and shows the West that it is virtually impossible to impose “peace at any cost” on Ukraine.
It should be recalled that since 2022, Ukraine has rejected any proposals from Moscow that would have provided for “peace” through concessions. Instead, Kyiv insists on Zelenskyy’s formula for peace: restoration of territorial integrity, security guarantees, and Russia’s responsibility for war crimes.
Similar KIIS polls regularly demonstrate a high level of public consensus: Ukrainians are ready to fight until the Kremlin abandons its plans to control Ukraine.
