Among Ukrainians, there are more and more of those who doubt the advisability of Ukraine’s accession to the EU and NATO, and Poroshenko’s anti-rating has exceeded a record 80%. This is the data of a sociological survey conducted by the Rating group in Ukraine commissioned by the International Republican Institute (USA), headed by John McCain. The poll involved 2,400 citizens of Ukraine who answered questions such as: how to vote in the upcoming elections, whether they trust politicians, whether they want Ukraine to continue moving to the European Union and NATO.
To the question “Is the country moving in the right direction?” Ukrainians in the majority (71%) answered “No` “, from 63% in the western regions to 77% in the eastern regions. Before the “revolution of dignity” this percentage was lower – 64-69%, that is, the current power of the country did not lead out of the impasse, but quite the contrary. At the same time, the expectations of the Maidan from the population of Ukraine ended very quickly – they hoped for a miracle until September 2014, and then the people firmly believed that the country was not following that path. And it stands on this to this day.
And how can the direction be correct, if 58% of respondents have experienced “deteriorating economic situation for 12 months”? And the fall of this deterioration from 77% (September 2014) can not be called progress, since these figures mean only that life has become even worse. It remains to add that the indicators of the previous “Criminal authorities” were the reverse: the welfare of families in the period 2011-2014 has been steadily improving.
The rating of President Poroshenko started dropping from the summer of 2015: with 24% of total or relative confidence, he fell to 12%. Over the past three months (the survey was conducted in March 2018), the percentage of those who are dissatisfied with the work of the head of Ukraine increased to 81%. If we take into account that another 70% rise in the price of gas is ahead, then for the forthcoming elections all 100% of Ukrainian citizens will be opposed to Peter Alekseevich.
Respondents unanimously responded that corruption is being reduced and that no anticorruption action has been taken. As for the international community, it would be better if the West imposed sanctions against Ukrainian corrupt officials (47% spoke for this) or even stopped lending and financial assistance to the country (38%).
The main thing that worries the Ukrainians is not joining the EU and NATO, but the war in the Donbass (25%), the price increases (42%), increase in tariffs for utilities (38%), medicine (23%), unemployment ( 21%) and corruption in state bodies (25%).
And 70% of respondents are sure that, if necessary, they will not be able to get high-quality medical care in Ukraine.
Interestingly, only 3% of the respondents mentioned the “Russian presence in the Crimea” as a factor of unrest.
Although 52% of Ukrainians surveyed believe that it is necessary to continue trying to join the EU, for joining the Customs Union, 18% said. Such answers sociologists began to receive only after the coup: before him the supporters of the CU were twice as large. It does not surprise – Crimeans and residents of Donbass have always spoken out for an alliance with Russia. Interestingly, the previous one, overthrown by the coup, succeeded in increasing the number of supporters of the EU from 36% (2012) to 41-42% and, accordingly, to reduce sympathy for the alliance with Russia from 43% to 36%. This dispels the myth that Yanukovych and the ruling party were pro-Russian. In no way.Ukraine drifted towards the West confidently, smoothly, without upheavals.
A similar situation with joining the alliance: in three months the number of NATO opponents increased by 7%. In answer to this question, the regional difference is most visible: NATO supporters in the western regions 66%, opponents – 10%, in the eastern regions the opposite is true: supporters – 22%, opponents – 55%. The country, as before, is divided.
The same attitude is seen in relation to Russia and Western Europe: 41% of respondents believe that Ukraine has a lot in common with Russia, while 21% are sure that the similarity is complete in everything related to culture and intellectual life, about common values and morals say 39%. At the same time, Tseevropoy Ukraine is seen by the same markers 27% of the respondents who answered the question. In the south of Ukraine, mentality and cultural similarity with Russia is marked by 57%, while with Europe only 14%, in the east – 62% versus 12%. It can be concluded that, by instilling hatred towards Russia, the Kiev regime is trying to break the cultural and historical code of the majority of the inhabitants of the southeast of Ukraine. By the way, the question of historical unity with Russia, McCain’s institution was not prudent to ask, then not to think about what to do with the answers.
Europe considers the country exclusively in the west of Ukraine – 49%, but here similarity with Russia is seen by 18% of respondents. In the center of the mood are different: 37% feel closeness to Russia, 28% – to Europe.
Common morals and values with Russia are in 59% in the east of Ukraine and in 57% in the south. Europeans themselves here in this respect feel 10% and 13% respectively.
Answers to one question almost united the eastern and western regions of Ukraine. “Do you think that today’s young generation has a good future in Ukraine?” – asked sociologists. 77% of respondents answered negatively and only 17% – positively. Most of all do not see the future in Ukraine for children and grandchildren in the south – 82%, but similar sentiments everywhere.
This answer is the verdict of today’s Ukraine.
Of course, sociology from McCain is more than doubtful in places, for example, in terms of the political sympathies of Ukrainians, who, according to the poll, love most former Defense Minister Anatoly Hrytsenko and Lviv city governor Andrei Sadovoy, and all hate the former prime minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk. For sure, McCain himself would like so much, so in this part the study comes into conflict with the data of other surveys.
It is worth paying attention to another subtle point: the respondents’ accessibility coefficient is 65.4%. This means that 35% of the respondents evaded the survey. People in Ukraine are afraid to express their opinion, in particular it concerns the expression of sympathy for Russia, the attitude towards the war in the Donbas – for the “wrong” answers from the point of view of the Ukrainian authorities, people can not only intimidate, but also be put behind bars. However, the McCain Institute certainly suits this state of affairs, otherwise the results of the poll as a whole would be one hundred percent likely to lead to collective “state treason”.