Over 50% support Ukraine's accession to NATO

Ukraine's accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is supported by 51% of Ukrainians, according to a joint sociological survey conducted by the Gorshenin Institute and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.

First Vice President of the Gorshenin Institute Viktor Sokolov said this during a roundtable meeting titled "Will the Implementation of NATO Standards in the Ukrainian Armed Forces Increase the Fighting Capacity of Ukraine," according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

According to him, when asked "If a referendum on Ukraine's accession to NATO were held today, how would you vote?" most respondents said they supported the country's accession to the Alliance.

"51.2% would vote for Ukraine joining NATO, 30.1% would vote against it, 2.5% would not vote, and 13.5% said it was difficult to answer this question," Sokolov said.

According to him, given the dynamics of the results of similar polls conducted since 2008, when only 19% of Ukrainians supported accession to NATO, since 2014, the share of citizens who support such accession has exceeded 50%.

According to Sokolov, the greatest support for NATO membership is observed in Ukraine's western regions - 72%, and the lowest in the eastern region, where more than 50% are against Ukraine joining NATO.

The survey was conducted from November 22 to December 10, 2019 and addressed reform issues. The full survey data will be released after the New Year holidays.

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