A majority of Russians expect the war in Ukraine to end in 2026, state pollster VTsIOM says, in a sign that the Kremlin could be testing public reaction to a possible peace settlement as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict intensify.
During the pollster’s year-end presentation, VTsIOM Deputy Head Mikhail Mamonov says 70 percent of the 1,600 respondents saw 2026 as a more “successful” year for Russia than this year, while for 55% that hope was linked to a possible end to what Russia calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine, which it invaded in 2022.
“The main reason for optimism is the possible completion of the special military operation and the achievement of the stated objectives, in line with the national interests outlined by the president,” Mamonov says at the presentation.
In its previous year-end polls, VTsIOM emphasized the consolidation of Russian society around President Vladimir Putin and his military goals in Ukraine but gave no figures for the share of the population expecting the war to end.
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