Majority of Russians support Putin and war in Ukraine, poll shows

An independent poll shows that more than the majority of Russians support Putin’s foreign policy and Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.

byYuri Zoria

10/01/2024

2 minute read

View on central Moscow’s Red Square in Russia. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Majority of Russians support Putin and war in Ukraine, poll shows

An independent survey conducted by the University of Chicago's National Opinion Research Center (NORC) revealed that despite challenging economic conditions and lower living standards in Russia, President Vladimir Putin continues to enjoy robust domestic support for his government and the ongoing war in Ukraine, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports.

The NORC poll collected responses from 1,046 Russian adults residing in the Russian Federation and Russian-occupied Crimea, utilizing data obtained from Russian mobile service providers.

The survey revealed that 67% of respondents approve of Putin's handling of foreign policy and 58% support his domestic policy. Additionally, 66% of the participants indicated their intention to vote for Putin in the forthcoming Presidential Election in March 2024.

Despite the NORC poll indicating that Russians are dissatisfied with increasing prices and a general decline in living conditions, Putin's approval ratings remain relatively high.

The NORC poll highlighted that 63% of respondents support the war in Ukraine, and 64% perceive it as a "civilizational struggle between Russia and the West."

This finding stands in contrast to other recent independent Russian polls, which have shown a decrease in support for Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Meanwhile, in Ukraine, the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology survey shows high support for the military (96%) and leaders like General Zaluzhnyi (88%) and President Zelensky (66%), with trust in the president slightly declining since 2022. Key institutions like the Armed Forces and Security Service maintained steady public trust.