Europeans Broadly Back Support for Ukraine

As European leaders once again reiterated their determination to stand beside Ukraine and its people, they can be relatively certain that the majority of EU citizens is backing this approach. The latest Eurobarometer, an EU-wide public opinion poll conducted on behalf of the European Commission, suggests that Europeans broadly agree with the region’s continued support of Ukraine.

The poll conducted in October and November of 2024 found overwhelming support for providing humanitarian aid to people affected by the war – almost 7 million Ukrainians have fled since the start of the war – and for imposing sanctions against Russia and Russian companies/individuals. The survey also shows that almost 70 percent of Europeans support providing financial aid to Ukraine. Granting EU-candidate status to the embattled country is supported by 60 percent of EU citizens, while the most pressing questions – whether or not Europe should fund Ukraine’s supply of military equipment – was answered positively by 58 percent of the 26,525 respondents.

Public support for continuing to help Ukraine defend itself is especially important these days, as the support from the United States is no longer unconditional. This will require an even larger effort by European countries in the future, as the EU is preparing a huge defense package, that would likely have a lasting impact on the budgets, deficits and economies of Ukraine’s European allies.