Most Ukrainians are optimistic about their future, new opinion polls reveal

Majority view the war with Russia as unavoidable and do not want a presidential election while it continues

Polling data has revealed what the Ukrainian public thinks about the war, including views on when the country will join Nato alliance and when the conflict will end. The National

The overwhelming majority of Ukrainians are optimistic about the future of their country and do not want a presidential election while the war with Russia continues, according to new polls.

The data offers insight into public opinion about the conflict, which has now dragged into its 18th month, with differing views on the possible timing of Nato ascension and when the conflict could eventually come to an end.

Pollsters from the Kyiv-based Ratings Group carried out telephone interviews with more than 1,500 adults across all regions of Ukraine, except those occupied by Russia, including Donbas and Crimea.

Their findings paint a picture of a country that is largely united against Russia and implicitly backs the current president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Here are six revealing charts about the war in Ukraine:

Assessing the future of Ukraine

Figures show that 84 per cent of people in Ukraine were either 'optimistic or “rather optimistic” about the country's future, despite the economic devastation the war has brought.

Just 11 per cent said they were “pessimistic” about the country's future, while five per cent said they didn't know.

Additional data from Ratings showed that more than 95 per cent of people said they connected their personal future with Ukraine.

The overwhelming majority (91 per cent) said they wanted their children to grow up in the country.

Young people were mostly likely to say they wanted their children to live outside Ukraine in the future, with 12 per cent supporting this statement.

Majority believe war with Russia was unavoidable

More than half of people (57 per cent) surveyed believe the war with Russia was either mostly or entirely unavoidable.

Nearly a third (30 per cent) believe that the conflict should have been avoidable or mostly avoidable with the right diplomatic manoeuvring.

Those living in eastern Ukraine (40 per cent) were significantly more likely to believe that the war could have been avoided, while just 24 per cent of those who live in Kyiv thought the same, according to additional information from the pollsters.

Differing views on when war will end

A question that asked when the war would end received a wide range of responses.

Just over half of people surveyed think the war will end either this year or next, although a significant proportion were more pessimistic about a quick conclusion.

Roughly 18 per cent thought it will take between two and three years to end the war, while 12 per cent thought it will take more than three years.

An additional 15 per cent said they were unsure when the war will end.

Little demand for change of leader

Most Ukrainians believed it was not feasible to carry out an election with the war still raging.

In addition, a majority (87 per cent) felt that a change in leadership was either unnecessary or somewhat unnecessary in the current circumstances, although those in eastern Ukraine were slightly more likely to advocate for an election.

Thirty-eight per cent believed that a change in Ukraine's leadership wouldn't alter anything when it came to fighting on the frontline.

However, more than a quarter (27 per cent) say the removal of Mr Zelenskyy would result in a serious deterioration of the situation there.

They think Ukraine will join Nato, but not immediately

Nearly a third (64 per cent) of Ukrainians thought it will be a year or longer until Ukraine is admitted into Nato.

Ukraine has formally applied to join as a full member of the nuclear defence alliance, but has been held up by Nato rules which do not allow applicants to join if their country is at war.

Turkey is not considered a reliable ally

Polling shows that Britain, the US and particularly Poland were viewed as reliable allies of Ukraine.

Turkey and Hungary were less likely to be seen as reliable, with many Ukrainians seeing both countries as working towards their own regional interests.

Other questions also revealed that Ukrainians were somewhat gloomy about continued Western support.

About 32 per cent of people surveyed believe that Nato and the EU would continue its support of Ukraine under any circumstances.

However, 61 per cent thought Western nations would only support Ukraine for “as long as it suits them”.