Half of Russians believe it would be right for Russia to use military force against Ukraine to keep the country out of NATO, a poll has revealed.
Fears are mounting that it is only a matter of time that Vladimir Putin will stage a full-scale attack on Ukraine, with US intelligence indicating that the deadly move will be in the next 48 hours.
Putin said the crisis will only be resolved if Ukraine drops its NATO bid, declare neutrality, ‘demilitarize’, and negotiated with separatists. The West has previously flatly rejected permanently barring Ukraine from NATO.
For 50 per cent of Russians, they believe it is right for the Russian strongman to use the military to stop Ukraine joining NATO, according to a poll conducted by CNN. Only 25 per cent of Russians polled said it would be wrong.
For 50 per cent of Russians, they believe it is right for the Russian strongman to use the military to stop Ukraine joining NATO, according to a poll conducted by CNN
Russian armored vehicles at the railway station in Rostov region, Russia, on Wednesday, close to the border with Ukraine
But the survey also found that 43 per cent of Russians believe it would be wrong to invade Ukraine to ‘reunite Russia and Ukraine’, compared to 36 per cent who said it would be the right move.
Russian TV host and journalist Vladimir Pozner told CNN that the poll highlights a general believe among Russians that Ukraine joining NATO would threaten Russia.
‘It speaks to the view that, should Ukraine become a NATO member, and should NATO forces be deployed on Russia’s doorstep, that would constitute an existential threat and therefore cannot be allowed,’ Pozner said.
Orysia Lutzevvch, head of the Ukraine Forum at the UK think tank Chatham House, told the news site: ‘Modern-day Russia has a syndrome of collapsing empires.
‘The loss of these lands is presented as “historical injustice” that should be rectified, including by force. Ukraine is viewed as a crown jewel that is “being stolen by NATO”.
‘Tapping into old Soviet scaremongering of the US and NATO, Russians believe it is an aggressive bloc that is in the way of Russia-Ukrainian unity.’
It comes as U.S. President Joe Biden warned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of an ‘imminent’ attack by Putin’s troops, just hours after Ukraine was hit by a ‘massive’ cyberattack targeting its government and banks.
The poll, which surveyed over 2,000 Russians and Ukrainians, found that 70 per cent of people in Ukraine – unsurprisingly – said it would be wrong for Russia to use military force against Ukraine to prevent them from joining NATO, while 73 per cent it would be wrong to do so to unite Russia and Ukraine.
Meanwhile, 50 per cent of Russians said it would be right to use military force if Russia felt threatened by foreign activity in former Soviet states.
Despite Putin sending in 190,000 troops close to the Ukrainian border and Western intelligence saying the soldiers are ‘ready to go’ in their attack, only 13 per cent of the Russians polled in the survey believe Russia will use military force against Ukraine
Putin said the crisis will only be resolved if Ukraine drops its NATO bid, declare neutrality, ‘demilitarize’, and negotiated with separatists. The West has previously flatly rejected permanently barring Ukraine from NATO
Despite Putin sending in 190,000 troops close to the Ukrainian border and Western intelligence saying the soldiers are ‘ready to go’ in their attack, only 13 per cent of the Russians polled in the survey believe Russia will use military force against Ukraine, while 75 per cent think they will not.
The survey was carried out in early February, before Putin recognised two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent and send troops into the areas.
‘The reason why 75% of Russians think Russia will not invade Ukraine is simply because of what they read in their newspapers and see on their TV.
‘There is basically no hysteria, no beating of the war drum, a consistent message that we do not want a war and will not start one,’ Pozner said.
He added: ‘Russians know what Western leaders are saying. Their statements are widely featured in the media. The general feeling is that the West in fact wants Russia to attack Ukraine because that would be to the West’s advantage, it is goading Russia to attack.
‘They are also of the opinion that, while Ukraine could not stand up to an all-out Russian invasion, Russia would lose much more from that than any military victory would win,’ he said.
But for Lutsevych, 75 per cent of Russians believing their country will not invade Ukraine could be due to ‘how Russian state-controlled media and disinformation is shaping an alternative reality for the Russian population.’
Lutsevych told CNN: ‘Inside Russia the West is presented as a villain that is abusing Ukraine to undermine Russia’s greatness. In the event of Russian military aggression, Russia will be portrayed as fighting the US and NATO forces, and not killing its Slavic brothers.’
Meanwhile, 42 per cent of Ukrainians believe Russia will start a war, while 45 per cent believe it is unlikely.
The vast majority of the Russians polled – 65 per cent – said there would be a peaceful end to tensions between Russia and Ukraine, while 43 per cent of Ukrainians agreed.
Meanwhile, U.S. intelligence chiefs fear Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, is at particular risk of being targeted in a Russian invasion as it is close to the Ukrainian-Russian border. Last night, a huge military convoy of more than 100 trucks with soldiers were heading in the direction of the city.
Ukraine was today was placed on a war footing: A state of emergency was declared and approved by parliament, 200,000 military reservists called up, border zones were restricted and three million Ukrainians told to leave Russia, with Kiev acknowledging for the first time that an attack could now take place anywhere, at any time.
As the noose tightened, Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged to send more weapons to help Ukraine defend itself against what the US has warned will be an all-out Russian assault. Johnson also promised more and tougher sanctions against Russia if Putin escalates further.
Earlier in the day, Vladimir Putin had given a sabre-rattling address to his troops to mark Defender of the Fatherland Day, praising their ‘battle readiness’ while saying he is assured that they will fight to defend Russian security interests – which he called ‘non-negotiable’. Russia also evacuated staff from its Kiev embassy.
Ukraine’s security agency claimed 45,000 plastic body bags have now been ordered to the Russian frontlines, giving the first hint of the amount lives Putin is willing to sacrifice to get what he wants – after Joe Biden said supplies of blood for transfusions have also been brought in.
UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss warned that Putin is ‘hell-bent’ on a full-scale invasion of Ukraine with a direct attack on the capital of Kiev ‘highly likely’ to be in his plans. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison predicted the attack is ‘likely to occur within the next 24 hours’.
