Most Ukrainians oppose territorial concessions, but there is a caveat
Pollsters have recorded a slight decrease in the proportion of Ukrainians who categorically reject the idea of ceding Donetsk Oblast in exchange for security guarantees. At the same time, support for this option has risen slightly, although the majority still opposes it.
This is stated in a report on a new poll by KIIS.
Since January 2026, KIIS has regularly asked Ukrainians: Are they ready for the withdrawal of troops from the Donetsk region in exchange for security guarantees from the U.S. and Europe?
57% are categorically opposed to this option;
36% are willing to make such a concession (though most of them acknowledge that this is a difficult condition);
7% are undecided.
In early March 2026, 62% of respondents opposed the transfer of Donetsk Oblast. Now this figure has dropped to 57%.
At the same time, the share of those who agree to such a scenario has risen from 33% to 36%. Current figures have returned roughly to February’s level.
Since the start of the survey, public opinion has not changed significantly. The majority of Ukrainians consistently oppose the idea of ceding Donetsk Oblast.
However, researchers noted one important nuance: if the question specifies that U.S. guarantees would not include the deployment of U.S. troops in Ukraine, a no-fly zone, or free arms supplies—support for such a proposal drops significantly.
As a reminder, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance stated during a visit to Hungary that he considers negotiations between Ukraine and Russia over “a few square kilometers” of territory to be ill-advised.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to the controversial remarks made by U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance regarding Ukraine. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Georgiy Tykhyi urged people to evaluate his words in their full context rather than reacting to isolated quotes with excessive emotion.
Zelenskyy responded to Vance’s remarks regarding Ukraine’s territorial concessions.
