A survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) has revealed a significant shift in the attitudes of Ukrainians toward territorial concessions in exchange for peace, with the number of those willing to compromise nearly doubling over the past year.
In December 2023, 19% of Ukrainians were open to giving up some territories to preserve the country’s independence and secure peace.
By December 2024, this figure had increased to 38%. The highest levels of willingness to make such concessions were found in the south (40%) and east (41%), areas heavily affected by active combat. In the west, 35% of respondents expressed openness to territorial compromise, while in the center of the country, the figure was 38%.
In the first year of the war, from May 2022 to May 2023, only around 10% of Ukrainians were ready to make territorial concessions for peace. However, following the unsuccessful counteroffensive in the summer of 2023, public opinion began to shift, with an increasing number of Ukrainians considering territorial concessions as a means to end the conflict.
