Putin Gets Brutal News From Russian Poll

Half of Russian citizens are hoping for the end of the war in Ukraine in 2024, according to a survey published Friday by the polling group Russian Field.

Respondents in the poll were asked what they would wish for their fellow citizens in the new year, with the most popular answer being "peaceful skies and the end of the special military operations"—the Kremlin's term for its invasion of Ukraine. Only 6 percent of respondents said they are wishing for Russia's "victory."

Additional answers included health (40 percent), patience (14 percent) and wishes for happiness and well-being (10-13 percent). Russian Field added that there were "much less common" choices included in the survey as well, including wishing for Russian President Vladimir Putin as the next president, although the pollster did not provide a percentage point for this option.

Newsweek reached out to Russia's Foreign Ministry for comment via email.

The polling results come as the war in Ukraine heads toward its second-year mark early in February, and as Putin vies for a fifth term in Russia's presidential election scheduled in March. A December poll by Russia's Levada Center found that Putin's approval rating has remained relatively high throughout the war, with 83 percent of Russians indicating support for the Kremlin leader this month.

Other surveys, however, have shown that Russia's invasion of Ukraine is becoming increasingly unpopular among its citizens. An October poll by the Moscow-based research group Chronicles found that only 12 percent of respondents supported the war—22 percent of respondents said they supported the war in a similar poll by Chronicles in February.

A separate October poll by the Levada Center found that 70 percent of Russians would support Putin if he decided to end the conflict that week. Roughly a third of respondents said they would even support the end of the war if it meant Russia would have to return the Ukrainian territories that were annexed last fall.

Putin has said that Moscow will not end its aggression until the country achieves "demilitarization" and neutrality in Ukraine. He also has blamed the West for forcing Russia into a war due to its influence on Kyiv's government.

Surveys conducted in Ukraine have also found increasing support for Kyiv to bring an end to the war, although Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has shown no signs of seeking negotiations with Putin. After Russia launched its largest aerial attacks on Ukraine overnight Friday, Zelensky released a statement to X, formerly Twitter, promising to "continue to strengthen our air defense and work to return war back to where it came from—to Russia."

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