Record Number of Russians Want War in Ukraine to End Now

A record 81% of Russians would support ending the war in Ukraine as early as tomorrow, according to a new survey by the Kyiv-based Institute of Conflictology and Analysis of Russia (IKAR).

The telephone poll of 1,600 respondents, conducted between May 11 and 26, found support for an immediate end to the war has reached its highest level since 2022, up from 72-75% in previous years.  

Support for fighting “until complete victory” has meanwhile fallen to just 9%, the lowest level recorded. 

The war has also overtaken economic concerns as Russians’ biggest issue, with 33% identifying it as the country’s main problem, ahead of low wages (24%) and rising prices (18%).  

“The war has once again emerged as a significant factor in Russians’ daily lives, rather than a background event,” IKAR researchers said. 

The survey also suggests confidence in Russia’s military campaign is weakening. Just 47% of respondents said Russia had partially or fully achieved its military objectives in Ukraine, down from 54% a year earlier. 

Nearly half (46%) of respondents said they wanted the war to end within six months, up by 5% from last year, while 58% said the president’s top priority in 2026 should be ending the conflict and improving Russians’ financial situation.  

The survey also found 73% opposed a second wave of mobilization. 

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The findings broadly align with polling by Russia’s independent Levada Center, which found in February that 67% of Russians supported peace negotiations, while just 24% wanted military operations to continue. 

Peace talks between Ukraine, Russia and the US have been stalled since mid-February, with Moscow’s territorial demands remaining the main obstacle.  

While European leaders and US President Donald Trump have recently signalled renewed interest in negotiations, Putin has continued to insist on Russia’s maximalist objectives despite saying publicly he is ready to discuss “all details” of a settlement.