Countries Souring On Ukraine

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent war, now in its second year, remains subject to widespread international condemnation. In a recent U.N. General Assembly meeting, 141 countries voted in favor of a resolution calling for an end to the conflict and Russia’s immediate withdrawal from Ukrainian territory. Meanwhile, only seven countries, including Russia, voted against the resolution, and 32 countries abstained. 

Though the U.N. resolution is nonbinding, many countries – particularly NATO and EU member states – have taken more decisive action to influence the war’s outcome, sending billions of dollars in humanitarian and military aid to Ukraine and imposing sanctions on Russia to isolate it from the international community. 

But as the war drags on with no end in sight, public support for the Ukrainian resistance is being tested. Not only have the sanctions have had a smaller impact on Russia than first expected, but they have also fueled an energy crisis in parts of Europe, leading to rising costs, a reduced standard of living, and stagnant economic growth. Amid the disruption to international trade, several countries are spending billions of taxpayer dollars to prop up Ukrainian military capabilities. The war’s economic toll in much of the world is creating fault lines, both within and among some Ukrainian allies, a development Russian President Vladimir Putin hopes to exploit. 

In the United States, political differences over the war are on full display in the field of Republican presidential hopefuls. Two leading candidates – former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis – believe the U.S. has become too involved in the war. This sentiment is by no means isolated to the U.S. as favorable perceptions of Ukraine are declining in much of the world. (Here is a look at the countries sending the most aid to Ukraine.)

Using data from public opinion research company Morning Consult, 24/7 Wall St. identified the countries souring on Ukraine. Countries are ranked based on the decline in net favorability since the start of the war compared to today – that is, the share of the public with favorable views towards Ukraine minus the share with unfavorable views in the period March 1 through April 30, 2022 (immediately after the Russian invasion) compared to net favorability in the period of Jan. 1 through Feb. 15, 2023.

Among the 25 countries on this list, Ukraine’s net-favorability has fallen anywhere from 9 to 29 percentage points. The countries with the largest declines include those for which the war has taken a profound economic toll, and one country that has absorbed well over a million Ukrainian refugees. (Here is a look at the seven countries where the most Ukrainian refugees are fleeing to.)

While favorable views of Ukraine have eroded over the past year in each of these countries, many still have an overwhelming positive view of the embattled country. In Australia and Canada, as well as two European countries, the share of adults with a positive view of Ukraine exceeds the share of those with unfavorable views by 40 or more percentage points. 

Conversely, several countries on this list, spanning Asia, Europe, and South America, have gone from having overly positive views towards Ukraine to mostly negative views. China and Belgium are the only two countries on this list that had mostly unfavorable views of Ukraine at the outset of the war.

Click here to see the countries souring on Ukraine.

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