Growing gloom about war among Europeans

TWO years on from Russia’s invasion in February 2022, European public opinion has generally been solidly behind Ukraine, including the more than a dozen economic sanction packages against Moscow. However, a recent key report found only 10 per cent of Europeans still believe that Kyiv can “win” against Moscow.

The new research, published last week by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), makes the astute observation that Russian President Vladimir Putin hopes that war fatigue in Europe and the wider West will clear the way for his victory in Ukraine.

The study draws on the results of a poll commissioned in January 2024 in 12 European countries: Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, and Sweden.