Most EU citizens oppose Ukraine accession – survey

More than half of the EU citizens oppose fast-tracked admission of Ukraine into the bloc, a Bertelsmann Foundation survey indicates

The support for the potential accession of Ukraine into the bloc has fallen under 50% across the EU, with citizens growing more wary about further expansion of the union, a new survey by the Bertelsmann Foundation shows.

The Germany-based foundation published its latest study exploring the sentiment within the bloc on Tuesday. The study was conducted through the foundation’s Eupinions public opinion research tool this June and sampled 16,795 people across all EU member states, as well as a further 2,153 people in Ukraine.

The latest survey has shown the continuing decline of support for a fast-tracked accession of Ukraine into the bloc, which has fallen below 50% for the first time since the pollster began measuring the trend. The idea was overwhelmingly supported at the very beginning of the Ukraine conflict, with some 6% of respondents backing it in March 2022. It has declined over the years and now measures only 47%, with 53% opposed to Ukraine’s accession.

The idea of EU enlargement through accepting any new members whatsoever has shown a similar trend. While some 73% supported the expansion in March 2022, now only 48% of respondents spoke favorably of it. In contrast, the idea of joining the EU remains very popular in Ukraine, with some 83% backing it, with the same percentage supporting the general idea of the bloc’s expansion, the poll indicates.

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The EU and the Ukrainian citizens have also displayed polar opinions on the potential benefits and implications of the country’s potential accession. Only 36% of Europeans believe Ukraine joining the bloc would create more economic opportunities, against some 74% of Ukrainians thinking so. Moreover, only some 38% of EU citizens expressed readiness to endure “short-term economic costs” for their countries for the sake of Ukraine’s accession, while 67% of Ukrainians said they would accept such hardships to join the bloc.

While joining the bloc has been a key talking point for pro-Western Ukrainian politicians for decades, the process only somewhat picked up after the escalation of the conflict with Russia. Still, the bloc appears to be reluctant to grant Kiev any exemptions and somehow facilitate its potential accession.

Earlier this month, the EU rejected Vladimir Zelensky’s demand that Ukraine be admitted to the bloc by January 2027. Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos said the deadline was clearly “not possible,” and Kiev must meet all the requirements for the “merit-based” membership.