Most Europeans stand with Ukraine against Russia

Amid widespread speculation about whether Russia will invade Ukraine or not, most European citizens think both NATO and the EU should stand with Kiev.

According to a recent poll conducted by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR),  62 percent of European respondents said NATO should come to Ukraine’s aid against a possible Russian invasion and 60 percent said the EU should support Kiev.

“The data suggests something of a geopolitical awakening in Europe,” said Mark Leonard, director of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), who carried out the survey in seven European countries which account for two-thirds of the EU’s population.

“EU states have been portrayed as divided, weak and absent on Ukraine, but European citizens are united: they agree Vladimir Putin may pursue military action, and that Europe, together with its Nato partners, should ride to Ukraine’s aid,” Leonard added.

Although there has been much talk that European governments are divided over the conflict, European citizens seem united around three key ideas.

In general, people generally believe there will be another Russian invasion of Ukraine as 73 percent of respondents in Poland see an invasion as likely. The same is true of 64 percent in Romania, 55 percent in Sweden, 52 percent in Germany, 51 percent in France and Italy, and 44 percent in Finland. 

Secondly, many Europeans see Russian aggression as a problem not only for Ukraine but for European security in general.

Third, the majority of Europeans support the idea of Europe responding to the crisis as well as the same from NATO.

In almost all surveyed countries, “most respondents see NATO as the organisation best positioned to defend Ukraine. Remarkably, the exception is Poland, where slightly more people see the EU in this role,” the report said.

The United States, Germany, France, the UK and “my country” are common answers to the question “If Russia were to invade Ukraine, who should come to Ukraine’s defence?” among respondents.

The ECFR report has said that Russian President Vladimir Putin would be surprised that most Europeans seem ready to defend Ukraine.

The report’s authors posited that “Europeans would see another Russian invasion of Ukraine as an attack not just on a neighbouring country but on the European security order itself.”

Many Europeans are less enthusiastic about paying the financial costs of deterring Russia and prefer to stand with Ukraine in the field.