You're reading: Support for joining NATO considerably increases in Ukraine

Almost two thirds of the Ukrainian public is ready to vote in favor of joining NATO, and more than half of Ukrainians support joining the EU, according to a poll conducted by the Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation in cooperation with the sociological service of the Razumkov Center.

“Right now we’re seeing serious changes: if a referendum was held now, it would be obviously won [by the pro-NATO side],” Director of the Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation Iryna Bekeshkina said at a press conference on Aug. 3.

According to the poll, if a referendum on Ukrainian membership of NATO was held on Aug. 2, a total of 63.9 percent of respondents would vote in favor, 28.5 percent would vote against, and 7.6 percent were undecided.

Bekeshkina said that in June 2010 only 24.6 percent would have voted for joining NATO, 67.7 percent – against, and in June 2014 – 45.4 percent would have voted in favor and 36.4 percent – against.

“These are very important changes” the expert said, adding that the issues still divides Ukraine.

In particular, she noted that there were much less support for NATO in Donbas compared to other oblasts, even though the number of those opposed to joining NATO is now about 60 percent compared to 95 percent five years ago.

According to the poll, 51.2 percent of the respondents considered joining the EU a priority, 17.4 percent – support joining the Customs Union with Russia. Belarus and Kazakhstan, 31.3 percent wee undecided.

The poll was conducted through July 22-27, and 2,011 respondents over 18 years old were surveyed in various regions of Ukraine except for Crimea and areas of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts uncontrolled by the Ukrainian government. The poll’ s margin of error was 2.3 percent.