A majority of Ukrainians would vote for joining the European Union and NATO if the referendum took place in the upcoming week, according to a Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) survey published on Dec. 24.
The poll showed that 67% of surveyed Ukrainians would support joining the EU, while nearly 22% would vote against it.
Just over 59% of surveyed Ukrainians would vote for Ukraine to join NATO. At the same time, 28% would oppose that.
The survey results confirm Ukraine's aspiration to integrate with the EU and NATO, despite Russia's attempts to influence the course. On Dec. 17, Moscow suggested agreements with the West that would prevent Ukraine from ever joining NATO, as well as de facto reinstate Russia's exclusive influence in Eastern Europe.
According to the survey, the vast majority of residents in the west and center of the country support both EU and NATO accession, the press release says. In Ukraine’s south and east support for Euro-Atlantic integration is lower.
The Kyiv International Institute of Sociology surveyed 1,203 adult Ukrainians in mid-December.
According to a similar survey conducted in November-December by Razumkov Center, there is a big difference in political leaning between the west and east of Ukraine.
Over 79% of Ukrainians in the west support EU accession, with 77% supporting joining NATO as well. In the east, however, only 35% and 30% of people support joining the EU and NATO, respectively.
Almost 60% of citizens in the central region support joining the EU, and 49% support joining NATO. Lastly, 41% of southerners support EU accession, and only 31% support Ukraine’s potential accession to NATO.
