EditUkrainians grow wary of concessions as U.S.-Russia talks expose pressure on Kyiv
A new survey shows majority ready to protest against “unacceptable compromises” amid opaque diplomatic manoeuvring
More than half of Ukrainians say they are ready to take to the streets if the country is pushed into “unacceptable compromises” during ongoing negotiations on ending the war. According to a new survey by Info Sapiens, commissioned by the New Europe Center and cited by EUalive’s partner European pravda, 51.4% of respondents declared their readiness to protest. Another 44.3% said they would not participate, while 4.4% were undecided.
The study tracks a notable evolution in public attitudes toward potential concessions. A temporary abandonment of the occupied territories remains firmly rejected by 40.2% of Ukrainians – a decline compared with 53.2% a year ago and 76.2% two years earlier – while only 5.1% consider such a step fully acceptable. Even fewer, just 2%, support the legal recognition of the occupied areas as Russian territory, with 76.6% categorically opposing it.
Ukrainians’ views on geopolitical alignment also remain largely unchanged. The share of those who deem refusal of NATO membership “absolutely unacceptable” has fallen gradually to 41.1% (from 48.7% last year and 56.9% two years ago). By contrast, rejection of EU membership continues to be seen as an unthinkable concession: 51% oppose the idea, slightly above last year’s 50.7%.
On security matters, resistance is growing. A record 77.9% consider reducing the size of the Ukrainian army entirely unacceptable, up from 74.5% a year ago. Similarly, 73% reject granting Russian the status of a second state language (compared with 70.9% last year).
Other indicators show slight shifts in the opposite direction. The proportion of those who reject lowering the level of reparations from Russia has decreased (58.7% compared with 62.2%), while categorical opposition to dropping prosecutions of Russian leaders and war criminals has edged down to 65% (from 68.4%). The share opposing the lifting of sanctions has also slightly decreased, from 64.8% to 64.1%.
The findings come at a time of heightened diplomatic uncertainty following the unexpected meeting in Moscow on 2 December between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he plans to speak with the two American negotiators regarding the discussions that took place in the Kremlin.
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EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaia Kallas, voiced concern that any talks involving Washington and Moscow could place disproportionate pressure on Kyiv to make concessions. European capitals have likewise signalled unease at not being briefed on the substance of the discussions.
Ukraine itself remains largely in the dark about what was agreed between the U.S. and Russia. Speaking in Brussels after a meeting of NATO foreign ministers, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said Kyiv had not received details of the Moscow talks “for objective reasons”. He noted that Rustem Umerov, head of the Ukrainian negotiating team, held only a brief phone contact with Witkoff.
According to Sybiha, the nature of the call made it impossible to discuss sensitive details: “Because it was a phone conversation, it would have been difficult to imagine going into specifics, given the sensitivity of the process.” Two European ministers who attended the Brussels meeting confirmed that neither they nor EU leaders had been given further information about the Moscow discussions.
Washington, however, appears ready to share details in person. Sybiha said the U.S. delegation had invited Ukrainian negotiators to travel to the United States “in the near future” for a follow-up round of talks, adding that American officials assessed the Moscow discussions as having had “a positive significance for the peace process”, though he emphasised that this was strictly the U.S. view.
Umerov is currently in Brussels, where he has been holding consultations with security advisers from several major European governments. Earlier reports suggested Zelenskyy might meet Witkoff and Kushner in Europe this week, but those plans were cancelled.
Zelenskyy has promised that after the U.S. round of talks, Ukraine will brief its European partners on the details of what was discussed with Russia. Meanwhile, Russian officials claim that the Kremlin conversations included discussions about Ukraine’s NATO membership – an assertion that only adds to Kyiv’s concerns as public resistance to concessions hardens.
Caption: Ukrainians set up a portrait of their fallen relative at a makeshift memorial to fallen Ukrainian soldiers and international volunteers at Independence Square in downtown Kyiv, Ukraine, 03 December 2025, amid the ongoing Russian invasion. EPA/SERGEY DOLZHENKO
Updated: December 4, 2025 - 07:04
