“Understood by threats”
Ukrainians would continue fighting after nuclear attack
02/07/2023, 01:30 am
The Kremlin leadership often uses nuclear threats to intimidate the West and prevent them from supplying arms to Kyiv. A survey of Ukrainians shows that the citizens are not put off by this. Almost 90 percent would still not be ready to surrender.
An overwhelming majority of Ukrainians would want to continue fighting even if Russia were to use tactical nuclear weapons. This is the result of a representative survey of this year’s “Munich Security Report” by the Munich Security Conference, from which the “Tagesspiegel” quotes in a preliminary report. Almost nine out of ten respondents (89 percent) want to continue fighting in the event of a possible nuclear attack on a Ukrainian city. In such a case, only six percent of respondents advocate capitulation.
Even with sustained Russian bombing of Ukrainian cities, a majority of Ukrainians refuse to surrender. 95 percent of respondents would want to continue fighting even in such a war scenario, only three percent support a Ukrainian capitulation. Furthermore, according to the poll, 88 percent of respondents would only accept a ceasefire if Russia were to withdraw all troops from Ukraine, including Crimea. For more than seven out of ten respondents (78 percent), a withdrawal of Russian troops just to the demarcation lines of February 24, 2022 would be unacceptable. Almost three quarters (72 percent) want long-term arms deliveries. A clear majority trust the US and NATO to defend their country more than the EU.
Based on the survey results, the authors of the “Munich Security Report” point out that the attitude towards the war in Ukraine differs significantly from the views of many Germans. “The amazing results paint a picture of a society that bravely and unitedly defied the Russian attack and looks to the future with confidence,” says the guest article for the “Tagesspiegel”. The difference in the assessment of the risks of a Russian nuclear strike is particularly clear. “Respondents in Ukraine were surprisingly unperturbed by Moscow’s threats, even though the people there would be the first victims of a Russian nuclear strike,” the report’s authors write.
To the According to “Tagesspiegel”. the survey was carried out by the communication agency Biscuit CNC with local partners over several weeks in November 2022 in order to obtain reliable results even under wartime conditions. The medium did not provide any further information such as the number of respondents.