- Category
- Latest news
Three-Quarters of Russians Endorse War in Ukraine, 24% Back Nuclear Strike
A June 19–25 Levada-Center poll found that 74 percent of Russian adults support the war against Ukraine, while 24 percent believe the use of nuclear weapons could be justified, the survey of 1,614 respondents reported according to RBC.
Support for the war declined from May’s peak: in May, 80 percent of respondents endorsed continued hostilities, but by late June that share had fallen to 74 percent. Opposition to the war rose modestly in the same period, from 13 percent to 16 percent, with a further 10 percent undecided.
On questions of peace negotiations, 68 percent of Russians said they favored sending formal proposals to Kyiv for talks, while 32 percent supported carrying on military operations until victory. This represents a slight shift toward diplomatic options compared with earlier months.
Attitudes toward nuclear weapons have grown more pessimistic: only 24 percent now say dropping a nuclear bomb on Ukraine could ever be justified—down from 30 percent in November 2024—while 65 percent view such an action as never acceptable. The remaining 11 percent were unsure.
The survey was carried out by phone between June 19 and June 25 among a representative sample of 1,614 Russians, with a statistical margin of error of ±3.4 percent. In May’s poll, a majority of respondents rejected a ceasefire and endorsed demands for Ukraine’s unconditional capitulation.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian public opinion remains wary: 59.5 percent of Ukrainians believe that regardless of any ceasefire terms, Russia will attack again in the future.
Earlier, Putin told Trump that Russia would not abandon its war goals in Ukraine, according to a Kremlin aide. The remarks underscored Moscow’s resolve to press on despite international calls for negotiations.
