Support for Putin’s Ukraine war drops to lowest-ever level within Russia: survey

Support for Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine has plummeted to its lowest point within Russia since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, a new survey found.

Two-thirds of Russians — or 66% — are now calling for peace, according to the survey published this week by the independent Levada Center in Moscow.

That marks the highest level of support for negotiations to bring the war to a close since the start of the deadly encounter.

At the same time, the number of Russians who think the fighting in Ukraine should drag on dropped to its lowest level — just 27% of respondents backed a continuation of the conflict.

Men and older Russians were more likely to support Putin’s war machine, the study found.

And those pro-war enthusiasts may get their wish as a Kremlin spokesperson said Friday that peace negotiations between the warring countries were “on pause” — while also slamming Europe’s pledge to provide post-war security guarantees for Ukraine as a dealbreaker.

The survey also noted growing pessimism for the military campaign inside Russia, with fewer people expressing confidence that the war will end within a year than they did at the beginning of 2025.

Only 36% of Russians polled believe the war will end over the next year, while 39% see it lasting longer than that — a 7% increase from January.

Meanwhile, a little more than 50% of Russians say the fighting has had a direct personal impact on them — with 30% saying a loved one has been killed in the conflict and 20% admitting they were struggling emotionally.