Poll: Ukrainians doubts that visa-free regime with EU to be introduced in 2016

Only 6,5% of Ukrainian citizens believe that visa requirements for short-term travel within the European Union will be introduced for Ukrainians by the end of the current year, while 29.7% are sure that it will happen after the year 2017.

These are the findings of a survey conducted by the sociological service of the Razumkov Center.

“Only 6.5% of the respondents believe that Ukraine will get a visa-free regime with the EU by the end of 2016, 15.4% - in 2017, 29.7% - after 2017, and 19.6% say it will never happen. Those respondents, who believe that Ukraine will never receive a visa-free regime, are from the East and total 39.4% of those polled,” reads a report.

The introduction of a visa-free regime with the EU is “very important” for 19.2% of Ukrainians, “rather important” for 25.7%, “less important” for 22.3%, and “not important at all” for 26.7%.

Sociologists note that in western and central regions of Ukraine the respondents believe that the introduction of a visa-regime is “important” or “rather important”, while in southern, eastern regions and Donbas - “less important” or “not important at all”.

The survey was conducted the Razumkov Center on September 9-14, 2016. A total of 2,018 respondents aged over 18 from all regions of Ukraine, except Crimea and occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, were interviewed. The margin of error does not exceed 2.3%.

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