Almost half of Ukrainians believe Crimea to be returned to Ukraine

Open source

About 48% of the country’s population considers it entirely likely that Ukraine will regain control over the peninsula, annexed by the Russian Federation, but 36% of Ukrainians do not believe in this. This was reported on the website of the Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation, who, together with the Razumkov Center have conducted a thematic survey among Ukrainians from August 16 to 22 in all Oblasts of Ukraine (except Crimea and the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts). Experts have surveyed 2019 respondents aged 18.
According to the study, residents of the west part (65%) and the center of the country (54%) mostly believe in the returning of the Crimea; residents of the east and south (51% each) do not believe this would happen.
Only 5% respondents believe that the returning of the Crimea is possible in the near future (in comparison to 22% in May 2016).
About 17% interviewed individuals could not answer to this question (in comparison to 8% in 2016).
The overwhelming majority of the Ukraine’s population (69%) believes that Crimea should continue to remain the part of the country.
The existence of Crimea as a separate state is supported by 12% respondents, and 4% recognize its membership in the Russian Federation.
The majority of the Ukraine’s population (66%) considers unacceptable the proposal to exchange Crimea for the Donbas, i.e. to recognize the annexed Crimea as the subject of the Russian Federation in exchange for Russia’s withdrawal from the occupied territories of Donbas. Only 16% respondents supported this exchange.
The respondents from the west (81%) and from the central (77%) parts of Ukraine are categorically opposed to this option of establishing peace in the country.
Only 35% of the population have agree to support the restoration of financial subsidies for the Crimea from the state budget in case of its return to Ukraine, and 49% do not agree to subsidies.
About 22% of citizens are ready to financially support different programs, aimed at integrating Crimea to Ukraine: the majority of these respondents are from the western regions (29%), and the least are from the south (10%).
As The Journalist reported, Ukraine called the conditions for the resumption of water supply to occupied Crimea.