A growing share of Ukrainians appear ready to back a negotiated end to the conflict, even if it means territorial concessions by Kyiv, according to a survey conducted by the Kiev International Institute of Sociology. The New York Times reported on the findings after reviewing the study.

Roughly 40% of respondents said they could accept the loss of Donbass, provided Ukraine receives reliable security guarantees in return.

The newspaper pointed out how sharply attitudes have shifted since 2022, when 82% of those surveyed категорically rejected any territorial уступки. At the same time, NYT noted that a direct comparison between the two polls is not entirely accurate, since the earlier research did not include the question of security guarantees for Ukraine.

Against this backdrop, a new round of Russia-Ukraine talks opened on February 4 in Abu Dhabi, with the United States also taking part. The sides had previously met on January 23–24, and the territorial issue remains the central stumbling block.

Experts cited by the report believe the переговоры are unlikely to deliver immediate breakthroughs, as discussions so far are focused mainly on military and technical matters. The more politically sensitive questions — including territory — may only come into play at a higher level of negotiations.