Ukrainians: The West betrayed us

– International news – Tasnim News Agency According to the Swiss newspaper “Tags Anseiger”, the results of a survey show that as the war in Ukraine is prolonged, the change in people And temperament can be observed among the Ukrainian population. Based on this, only 44% of the population of this country think that everything is progressing in a favorable direction. This is the lowest figure the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) has measured since Russia launched the major offensive almost exactly two years ago. In May 2022, 68% were still optimistic, and at the end of 2023, 54% expressed optimism about this.

Now, for the first time, more Ukrainians view negative developments ( 46 percent) compared to positive (44 percent). 10% have declared that they cannot decide. The survey surveyed more than 1,200 people living in Ukrainian-controlled territory. The study is considered representative, with data collected from February 5 to 10.

Anton Hrushetsky, director of KIIS, writes that this was a “hot phase” because Vladimir Zelensky He appointed a new commander-in-chief during this period. According to him, therefore, only a little later it will be possible to say what kind of attitude will definitely prevail among the Ukrainian population. According to him, the fact that self-confidence is decreasing, due to the war of attrition The current one is not surprising.

It can be assumed that the dismissal of the former Commander-in-Chief Valery Salushnyi had an effect on the results of this poll. This former head of the army still enjoys the most trust among the Ukrainian people and 94% support him. His approval rating has remained flat since December, while Ukrainian President Zelensky lost the most support, falling from 77 percent to 64 percent. Accordingly, only two out of five Ukrainians trust new Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Sirsky, although nearly as many Ukrainians do not know him. A determining factor in how the Ukrainians stand is the support of the West. The fact that these supports have been suspended for months has had a negative psychological impact. It is unfortunate and painful for Ukrainians to hear the pitiful phrase “we stand by Ukraine” and at the same time not getting enough help. More and more Ukrainians always see this as hypocrisy and betrayal of the so-called (western) friends.

According to Hrushetsky, the difficult situation of the war will probably make many Ukrainians uneasy. Russia is slowly but steadily advancing on the front. Until Ukraine receives a huge stockpile of weapons and ammunition, it seems unlikely that the situation will change. In addition, there are numerous corruption scandals, for example in the purchase of ammunition or in the recruitment process, which are likely to damage trust in the Ukrainian government. Upcoming legal reforms to mobilize more troops have also caused discontent in Ukraine.

So Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is trying to build trust. He said: We must win. Security comes only through power. The fact that many Ukrainians are pessimistic does not mean that their will to persevere has been broken, he said in a video speech last Wednesday. According to him, in December, an absolute majority (87 percent) said that they could defeat Russia if the West provided enough aid in terms of weapons, finance and sanctions.

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