Most Europeans In Favor Of Maintaining Ties With Russia Once Ukraine Conflict Over -Survey

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th June, 2023) Most Europeans are in favor of maintaining relations with Russia once the Ukraine conflict is over in a negotiated peace, and some of them believe their countries should "have a fully cooperative relationship" with Moscow, a policy brief of the European Council on Foreign Affairs showed on Wednesday.

Respondents were asked to imagine that the Ukraine conflict ends in a negotiated peace and describe the relationship they think their country should have with Russia afterward.

On average, across all countries surveyed, 21% of respondents said their country should have "a fully cooperative relationship" with Russia, 48% of Europeans were in favor of having "a limited relationship" with Moscow, for example, to trade only in certain industries, 18% of respondents believe their country "should end all relationships with Russia," and 13% were unable to give a definitive answer.

"Nonetheless, some controversy looks unavoidable. For example, in Poland, 39 per cent are willing to end all relations with Russia. Meanwhile, a majority in Bulgaria, about a third of Austrians and Hungarians, and a quarter of Germans are already considering re-establishing a fully cooperative relationship with Russia after the war. It would be dangerous if European discussions on this issue were driven by these extreme positions," the authors said in the policy brief.

The policy brief is based on a public opinion poll of the adult population conducted in April 2023 among 16,168 residents from 11 countries of the European Union, namely Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Sweden.