Russians in Revolt? Putin's People Want End to Ukraine War — but with One Major Condition

A recent survey conducted by the Levada Analytical Centre has revealed that 70% of Russians would support President Vladimir Putin if he decided to end the war against Ukraine.

Knewz.com reported that two thirds of the anti-war sentiment is conditional upon Russia holding onto annexed Ukrainian territories.

The survey, which was conducted through personal interviews from Oct. 19 to 25, highlighted the opinions of the Russian population regarding the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and shed light on attitudes towards the possibility of a peaceful resolution.

If given the opportunity to go back in time and prevent Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, 41% of respondents stated that they would opt against starting the war.

According to the Levada Center, a Russian independent, nongovernmental polling and sociological research organization, the support for the initiation of a "military special operation" was found to be highest among those 55 years of age and older, with 51% of respondents in this category backing Putin's decision made in February 2022.

However, among younger age groups, particularly those under 24 years old, 56% expressed support for either canceling the war or never having initiated it in the first place.

Geographically, the statistics indicated that residents of Moscow displayed a slightly higher level of support for the start of the "special military operation," with 55% in favor of it, compared to those living outside the capital.

Regarding the duration of the war, the survey found that almost half of respondents (46%) believed it would continue for more than 12 months while 23% believed it would last from six months to a year.

The survey also asked respondents to provide their own reasons for Russia's war against Ukraine.

Responses were varied, with 25% stating it was necessary to liberate the Donbas and protect Russians living there.

Another 14% mentioned eradicating “fascism and destroying Nazism” - per the official diatribe in Moscow - while 13% saw it as a response to aggression by Ukraine and Western countries.

Comparing the results of this survey to a previous one conducted by the Levada think tank in February 2023, there were some shifts in respondents' views.

In the month that marked the one-year anniversary of Putin's invasion of Ukraine, the objectives of the "special operation" were primarily seen as (30% of respondents) preventing an attack on Russia and securing the borders. A marginally smaller group (27%) saw the war as a way to protect Russian and Russian-speaking civilians in the Donbas while 12% felt it served to eliminate nationalists and fascists.

In terms of the current stance on peace talks and hostilities, there have been small changes in recent months.

The majority of respondents, 55%, now believe negotiations should be initiated, which notably, is up from 51% in September.

An observably smaller group of 38% continue to support the continuation of hostilities, compared to 39% that did in September.

The survey also highlighted the stance of the Russian population on the potential of the conditions of peace talks.

The smallest group of respondents, 67%, deemed the return of the partially occupied Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions to Ukraine as unacceptable, while 71% felt the same about the return of occupied Luhansk and Donetsk.

Furthermore, an overwhelming 76% of respondents opposed Ukraine's accession to NATO.

Never miss a story — sign up for the Front Page Detectives newsletter. Be on the scene the moment news breaks.

The survey was conducted by the Levada Center, which “conducts regular monitoring of Russian public opinion, and also conducts research projects on order," according to its website.

Thus far, its findings have not been confirmed by any external entity or third parties.