Page 27 - UKRRptNov23

return of refugees to Ukraine as early as 2024. The population of Ukraine in 2021 was 41 million people. In 2022, it decreased to 34.8 million, and in 2023 - to 33.2 million. The IMF predicts that in 2024, the number will increase to 33.7 million people, growth will continue, and in 2028, the population will reach 36.1 million. It is worth noting that in August, the number of refugees from Ukraine with temporary protection status in the EU increased by 41,275. As of August 31, 4.155 million people had this status in an EU country (+1%). The largest growth was observed in Germany (21,830; +1.9%), the Czech Republic (7,545; +2.1%), and the Netherlands (2,635; +1.7%). The number of protection recipients in Poland continued to decrease in August - by 10,530, or 1.1%, and over five months - by 39,200.
without using subheadings Write an article using the text below using short paragraphs and British english:
The number of business leaders who expect a long war with Russia has doubled. According to a survey of top managers in Ukraine conducted by the Gradus Research agency in 2022, 54% of business leaders expected the war's end by the end of the next year, and only 38% believed in victory within a year. The share of those who think active hostilities will drag on for years increased from 13% in 2022 to 25% in 2023. In addition, in 2022, 67% of business leaders believed that the war would provide an impetus for Ukraine’s development, and 18% thought that it would lead to a crisis. Currently, only half of the top managers see opportunities for growth during the war, and 37% of respondents see the impact of the crisis and exhaustion on the country. The number one expectation for the government is the fight against corruption, said 55% of respondents. This desire exceeds requests for defensive capability, protection, and security. “The fight against corruption is also at the top among the actions to restore Ukraine," analysts noted.
A recent survey conducted by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs has revealed that while over 60% of Americans back continued assistance for Ukraine, there is a significant divide along party lines, with stronger support among Democratic voters compared to their Republican counterparts.
The survey indicates that most Americans continue to support assistance for Ukraine's military (63%) and economic aid (61%). However, these figures are slightly lower than those recorded a year ago.
In November 2022, 65% of Americans supported providing weapons to Ukraine, compared to 72% in July 2022. Similarly, economic aid received support from 66% of US citizens in November 2022 and 71% in July 2022.
While Ukraine continues to enjoy the support of the west, in recent months a degree of Ukraine fatigue has set in that threaten the country’s funding.
The divide becomes more evident when examining party affiliations. While three-quarters of Democratic voters expressed support for continued assistance to Ukraine, only around half of Republicans did so. This represents a significant drop for Republican voters compared to March 2022 when their views on supporting Ukraine were more aligned with their Democratic counterparts.
The European Union has voted through a new multi-year budget for 2021-2027 that locks in €50bn of funds for Ukraine, but in the US, where a spending bill excluded Ukraine, the Pentagon says it only has $5bn left in its budget for Ukraine and could run out of support money in six months.
Furthermore, the survey reveals differing opinions on the value of the $43bn in security assistance provided by Washington to Ukraine. More Democrats
27 UKRAINE Country Report November 2023 www.intellinews.com