Majorities in 16 of the 22 largest countries believe Russia should give up the territory it has seized in Ukraine, the survey shows. The poll of 22 countries with more than 21,000 citizens also highlights the extent to which the global south is less concerned with the war in Ukraine than Europeans. Asked to list their top three priority issues, voters most often cited the climate crisis and the cost of living ahead of Ukraine. Even in the UK, the country with the most consistent support for Ukraine, more voters are citing climate change. The climate emergency was the top priority, with 36% of respondents ranking it as one of the three most important issues facing the world, compared to 28% who chose the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In all but three of the countries surveyed, less than 40% cited Ukraine as a top three issue. The poll was conducted by Datapraxis and YouGovby the Open Society Foundations, a group funded by businessman and philanthropist George Soros, and was released ahead of the UN general assembly later this month in New York. It will be closely watched by world leaders for signs of any rift in support for the war in Ukraine in the face of rising inflation and energy prices. Although the survey clearly shows that Ukraine is viewed globally as less important than the climate crisis and the cost of living, Russia can take little comfort from the poll. For example, there was also a strong plurality (49%) who supported the statement “war crimes are mainly committed by Russia”, compared to 28% who supported the view that “war crimes are committed by both sides”. Rifts are also emerging over responsibility for the crisis in Ukraine. Respondents in the global north and global south have different views on the reasons for the invasion of Ukraine. Almost half (49%) of respondents in South Africa, 54% in Nigeria and 56% in India agreed that Russia was “justified in wanting to have more influence over its neighbour, Ukraine”, compared to 78% in United Kingdom which disagreed. along with 53% in Germany and 58% in the US and France. But there was strong and general support for a peace that requires Russia to withdraw from Ukrainian territory it has seized, including from some countries sometimes seen as sympathetic to Russian messages, such as Turkey and South Africa. In only four of the 20 countries asked this question – Senegal, India, Indonesia and Serbia – did less than 50% of respondents think Russia should withdraw. Just 8% of North Americans and 13% of Western Europeans surveyed believed Russia should not withdraw. Even in South Africa, 59% favored a complete Russian withdrawal compared to 19% who agreed that “Ukraine should hand over some of its territory now controlled by Russia”, and in Turkey 55% supported withdrawal against 16%. Russia-Ukraine survey There are wide differences between how important respondents in different countries ranked Ukraine as a global issue. Concern was particularly high in Eastern Europe and most G7 countries, including Poland where 45% ranked it as one of the top three issues and the UK where 39%. Few citizens view war as a top global priority in Nigeria (21%), India (21%) or Colombia, Egypt, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Turkey (less than 20%). Strikingly, only 22% of US respondents cited Ukraine as one of the top three global issues, despite bipartisan US economic and military support for Kyiv. More respondents in Kenya (37%) than in Germany (33%) or France (29%) ranked the invasion as a top global challenge. Almost half of respondents (49%) cited inflation and the cost of living as one of the top three challenges facing their family and community today, with the greatest concern in high-income countries. The cost of living ranked as the top three concerns in Singapore (76% of respondents), Britain (70%), France and Serbia (58%), Poland (57%), Germany (45%) and Japan (46%) %). By contrast, in Turkey, where high double-digit inflation has persisted for several years, only 53% of respondents cited inflation and the cost of living as their top three concerns. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. A whopping 83% of respondents in Mexico, 64% in Senegal and 56% in India worry that their family may go hungry. So did almost 40% of Americans and over 25% of people in Great Britain. Overall pessimism about where the world is headed was strongest in Europe and the US, with much higher confidence in the Asian countries surveyed, including Indonesia, Singapore and India, possibly reflecting confidence in the Asian economies of of tigers. Despite the apparent interest in global solutions, there is clear dissatisfaction with the UN’s work in relation to Ukraine, particularly in the wealthier countries. In only three countries – Kenya, Nigeria and Ukraine – did at least 50% of respondents think the UN had generally done a good job in relation to the invasion of Ukraine, falling to 25% or less in eight countries, including major UN donors . such as France and the US (both 25%), Great Britain (24%) and Japan (16%). Support for Russia’s expulsion from Ukraine is almost unanimous inside Ukraine, where there is unusually high support for the EU’s handling of the issue. Yamide Dagnet, director of climate justice at Open Society, said: “It should come as no surprise that so many people around the world cite climate change as the most important challenge facing the world – the climate crisis is inextricably linked to the turmoil that we see Global. Without meaningful action, it will further exacerbate these crises. Again, the public comes before the policy makers.”
