Most Europeans skeptical of NATO-Russia war, believe Ukraine conflict can end through talks: Study

By Ebad Ahmed

PRAGUE, Czech Republic (AA) – Most Europeans are skeptical of a NATO-Russia war, believing that the conflict in Ukraine will be resolved through negotiations, according to a new study conducted by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR).

The ECFR study, titled The Meaning of Sovereignty: Ukrainian and European Views of Russia's War on Ukraine, was based on surveys conducted by international opinion research organizations, including Datapraxis, YouGov, Norstat, Alpha Research, and Rating Group, in European countries: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Ukraine.

The study released on Wednesday said European nationals have expressed their doubts over Ukraine’s military triumph over Russia on the battlefield, with roughly a third to half of survey participants believing the war will end through a negotiated settlement. Sentiments were particularly strong in Greece (49%), Italy (48%), Bulgaria (46%), and Spain (45%). Only Estonia had a high percentage (38%) of respondents who believed Ukraine would win the war.

The majority of 11 of the selected 15 European countries believed that negotiations were the most likely outcome.

In Italy, 18% of respondents believed that the war in Ukraine would end "within the next year," while 22% said "Russia will win the war," and 3% expressed their views that Ukraine could win on the battlefield.

Most Europeans were opposed to increasing defense costs in response to the Ukraine conflict. Poland (53%), Estonia (45%), Sweden (41%), and Germany (40%) were the only exceptions, supporting increased defense spending "even if it means (having to) cut funds in other areas such as health care, education, and crime prevention."

However, majority people in other countries, including Italy, Greece, Spain, and Switzerland, were opposed to increasing defense costs.

Even in countries that have taken a strong anti-Russian stance, the vast majority of people are opposed to having boots on the ground in Ukraine to fight the Russian army.

The commitment of troops was also opposed by 54% of Swedish citizens and 90% of Bulgarians. An 80% majority in Italy opposed troop deployment in Ukraine, but Europeans were in favor of providing technical assistance to the Ukrainian military.