Page 15 - UKRRptMay21

Wrong direction
After the euphoria of Zelenskiy election in 2019 the hangover has arrived and the number of Ukrainians that believe the country is going in the wrong direction has returned to more or less the levels it was under the Poroshenko administration.
Some 68% of Ukrainian citizens believe that the direction of events in the country is wrong, according to UIF, the same level as in March, according to the Rating Group.
According to the survey, only 17% of respondents say that Ukraine moves in the right direction, and another 15% cannot decide, Interfax reports.
Of the problems worrying voters, the undeclared war in Donbas is the biggest concern (40%), followed by low wages and pensions (36%), corruption (31%), high utility rates (29%), and the pandemic (27%).
Some 43% of Ukrainians fully support the idea of Ukraine's joining NATO, according to the data of a sociological study on the attitude of Ukrainian society to the escalation of the conflict in Donbas, carried out by the Ukrainian Institute for the Future (UIF) with the assistance of the New Image Marketing Group. According to the survey, the results of which were presented at the Interfax-Ukraine agency on Wednesday, another 21% of respondents noted that they rather support the idea of Ukraine's joining the Alliance, 7% rather do not support, 12% do not support at all, while 12% - do not have an unambiguous opinion on this issue.
Some 64% of Ukrainians are of the opinion that there is a war between Ukraine and Russia in Donbas, according to a sociological study on the attitude of Ukrainian society to the escalation of the conflict in Donbas, conducted by the Ukrainian Institute for the Future (UIF) with the assistance of New Image Marketing Groups.
According to a recent sociological survey conducted by the Ukrainian Institute for the Future, 70% of Ukrainian believe that the main factor preventing the end of the War in Donbas is reluctance on the part of the Russian authorities.
Among those surveyed, 81% were aware that Russia was massing troops near the border with Ukraine at the time. Overall, 45% of respondents felt that this military buildup pointed to a “real and serious” threat of a Russian attack or the introduction of Russian troops into Ukraine.
Asked to choose the main reason behind the increased concentration of Russian troops, half of respondents said it was in order to annex more of Ukraine and capture the North Crimean Canal to secure water supply to Crimea. (This view was less prevalent among respondents from eastern Ukraine, where 34% chose this answer).
Interestingly, 51% of respondents said that the best response to escalating tensions would be for the Ukrainian authorities to concentrate troops along the country’s borders, initiate full militarization and mobilization, and prepare to repel an attack. In addition, 48% advised seeking partners and military assistance in the West. While 38% supported stepping up efforts to find diplomatic solutions to end the conflict, only 23% were in favor of pursuing direct negotiations with Russia to find room for compromises.
Asked about Western sanctions against Russia, 42% of respondents considered them effective, but insufficient for restraining Moscow’s aggression.
15 UKRAINE Country Report May 2021 www.intellinews.com