91% of Ukrainians oppose peace talks without Ukraine's participation, poll finds

A total of 91% of Ukrainians surveyed oppose peace negotiations between the U.S. and Russia without Ukraine's participation, a poll released on Feb. 21 by Ukrainian polling firm Rating suggests.

The poll, commissioned between Feb. 20 - 21, comes amid growing concerns in Kyiv and among European allies about Washington's shifting stance on the war, particularly after the U.S. held direct talks with Russia in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 18.

Concerns in Kyiv continued to mount on Feb. 21 as U.S. President Donald Trump claimed on Feb. 21 President Volodymyr Zelensky is not essential to negotiations to end Russia's war in Ukraine.

"I don't think he's very important to be at meetings, to be honest with you," Trump told Fox News Radio on Feb. 21. "When Zelensky said, 'Oh, he wasn't invited to a meeting,' I mean, it wasn't a priority because he did such a bad job in negotiating so far."

Zelensky on Feb. 16 rejected the idea of peace negotiations being conducted behind Ukraine's back.

Ukrainian surveyed overwhelmingly agreed with Zelensky's assertion, with only 7% of respondents in favor of Ukraine not participating in the peace talks.

Trump plans to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Saudi Arabia in the coming months, though the extent of Ukraine's involvement in those talks remains unclear.

NBC News reported on Feb. 16, citing two U.S. officials, that the intention is for the U.S. to host a bilateral meeting with Russia, followed by a bilateral meeting with Ukraine, and culminating with talks together.

A vast majority, 64%, of Ukrainians surveyed in the poll support Ukraine participating in direct negotiations with Russia to end the war — with 32% of respondents opposed.

As negotiations to end the war begin, a total of 81% of respondents believe that negotiations involving other countries are necessary for a realistic solution to end the war, with a further 83% believing that that Ukraine should agree to a ceasefire only if security guarantees are provided.

The survey was conducted across all regions of the country, except those currently under Russian occupation, and survey 1,200 adults. The results are deemed to be accurate within 2.8 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

63% of Ukrainians approve of Zelensky as president, poll shows

Some 26.1% of Ukrainians said they completely approve Zelensky, while another 36.9% said they tend to approve him. The overall figure is higher than in polls conducted years before Russia’s full-scale invasion, as well as in the spring of 2024.

The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Denisova