70% are prepared to carry on: the true state of Ukrainian society
Professor Oleksiy Haran set the record straight on Radio Liberty, drawing on the latest sociological data.
Pragmatism instead of illusions
According to Oleksiy Haran, Ukrainians today are the most realistic people in the world. When it comes to exchanging territory for ‘American guarantees’, the majority say a firm ‘no’. The reason is simple: people have learnt from bitter experience and understand that promises on paper, without the involvement of the US military or concrete arms deliveries, will not stop the aggressor. The weaker the proposed guarantees appear, the fewer Ukrainians are prepared to make any concessions.
Resilience: Staying strong through fatigue
Fatigue is a reality that should not be ignored. The number of those willing to endure the war ‘for as long as necessary’ has fallen by 7–9%over the past year. However, a figure of 70% in the fifth year of such an intense war is a phenomenal level of resilience. It is hardest for those waiting for their loved ones to return from the front, but even there, there is no call for surrender.
“How would you feel in the fifth year?”
Professor Garan put forward a compelling argument for Western critics of the mobilisation processes in Ukraine. He pointed out that Ukraine has been at war for longer than the US was involved in the Second World War.
“What would you be like in the fifth year of such an intense war?” — a rhetorical question that gives partners pause for thought.
Against the backdrop of European countries, where the willingness to defend one’s homeland with arms is significantly lower, Ukrainian society demonstrates an incredible spirit of mobilisation.
