The appeal made early Friday morning in a video message by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was powerful yet will likely go unheeded. “I have asked 27 European leaders whether Ukraine will be in NATO. I have asked directly – everyone is afraid, no one answers”, Zelensky was quoted as saying.
Ukraine had been an official aspirant country of NATO since 2014, but chances of a membership had been slim from the start as Russia has long openly opposed Ukraine’s membership and has threatened retaliation should the country have been allowed to join.
Meanwhile, a majority of the Ukrainian public, like the president, favors membership. Growing consensus on the question in late 2021 and early 2022 – according to the Ukrainian Rating Sociological Group – is testament to the increased threat Ukrainians were feeling in the weeks and months leading up to the Russian invasion. As of Feb 16-17, 62 percent in the country supported membership, up from just 51 percent one year earlier.
An equally unlikely prospect, but one that is just as telling of Ukrainians’ desire for peace and stability and their increased awareness of the need to find European allies is EU membership. As of Feb 16-17, 68 percent said they were in support.
Western Ukrainians were most in favor of joining the bodies, showing support levels above 80 percent. Eastern Ukrainians were least in favor, with support for the EU at 44 percent and for NATO at just 36 percent most recently – opposite 45 percent and 54 percent that were opposed (even though Donbas and Crimea were not surveyed). The difference in opinion was not as stark between age groups, as only a couple of percentage points divided younger and older respondents on the issues.
This chart shows the share of Ukrainians saying they supported their country joining NATO/the EU.
