Most Ukrainians Put Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity Above Prosperity, Poll Finds

Most Ukrainians value the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity more than economic well-being, according to a new survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS), although a significant minority would prioritize living standards.

The poll, conducted between May 7 and June 3, found that 48% of respondents considered territorial integrity more important than prosperity, while 40% said improving people’s well-being should come first.

The gap widened when respondents were asked to choose between economic well-being and Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence. A clear majority, 59%, said sovereignty and independence were more important, compared with 29% who placed greater value on prosperity.

KIIS said it separated the two questions because Ukrainians are generally more willing to discuss temporary territorial losses than issues concerning the country’s sovereignty and independence.

Although support for territorial integrity exceeded support for economic well-being, sociologists noted that the difference was relatively small.

The pollsters said the findings highlight the influence of narratives promoted by Russia’s information campaign, which seeks to persuade Ukrainians that sacrificing some degree of sovereignty could bring economic benefits.

“Some experts may fairly argue that opposing well-being and sovereignty is artificial because without sovereignty there can be no prosperity,” KIIS said.

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“However, part of Russia’s propaganda aims to convince Ukrainians and Europeans that they can give up some sovereignty in exchange for a better standard of living.”

KIIS said it is important to monitor how widespread such views are among the public.

The nationwide survey was conducted through telephone interviews using a random sample of mobile phone numbers in all government-controlled regions of Ukraine. A total of 1,000 adults aged 18 and older took part.

Under normal conditions, the margin of error would not exceed 4.1 percentage points for indicators close to 50%, although KIIS noted that wartime conditions introduce additional sources of uncertainty beyond the formal statistical error.