88% of Europeans approve the idea of welcoming people fleeing the conflict in Ukraine
The European Commission, Directorate-General for Communication, commissioned Ipsos European Public Affairs to conduct a Flash Eurobarometer survey aimed at measuring EU citizens’ attitudes on the EU’s response to the war in Ukraine.
Key topics covered include:
- Attitudes to the war in Ukraine, including interest in and concern about the war, and sentiments towards Ukraine and Russia
- Satisfaction with authorities’ response to the war, as well as opinions on the EU response in general and on specific EU measures
- Europeans’ willingness to cut down on their energy consumption via a range of different actions
- Trust in sources of information about the war.
Ipsos European Public Affairs interviewed a representative sample of EU citizens, aged 15 and over, in each of the 27 Member States of the EU. Between 13 April and 20 April 2022, 26 066 interviews were conducted via computer-assisted web interviewing (CAWI), using Ipsos online panels and their partner network.
Key survey findings include:
- The survey shows that most EU citizens support the EU’s reaction to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The majority of respondents think that since the war started, the EU has shown solidarity (79%), has been united (63%) and was fast (58%) in its reaction.
- Sympathy for Ukraine and the Ukrainians is high: 89% of respondents feel sympathy towards Ukrainians, 71% believe that ‘Ukraine is part of the European family’ and 66% agree that ‘Ukraine should join the EU when it is ready’.
- EU citizens are also in favour of support to Ukraine and its people: 88% approve welcoming in the EU people fleeing the war, 80% approve of financial support to Ukraine and 67% approve financing the purchase and supply of military equipment to Ukraine.
- Eight in ten respondents approve economic sanctions against Russia, including 55% who fully approve and 25% who tend to approve.
- Support for measures aimed at reducing the EU’s energy dependence is high: More than eight in ten respondents find that the EU should reduce its dependency on Russian gas and oil as soon as possible (85%) or that the war in Ukraine makes it more urgent for EU Member States to invest in renewable energy (84%).
