62% of Ukrainians Say They’ll Endure War as Long as Necessary, Poll Shows

A survey released this week by the Kyiv International Society of Military Affairs found that 62% of Ukrainians are willing to endure the war as long as necessary to achieve their objectives, while 79% believe Ukraine will ultimately achieve victory ^[1][2][3]. The figures capture a population steeled for extended conflict – but they also mask a more complicated picture emerging from the polling data itself.

The headline numbers suggest unwavering resolve. Yet earlier surveys from the same institution reveal a more fractured reality. In September 2026, only 47% of Ukrainians expressed absolute certainty in victory, down from 60% in February 2025 ^[4]. Another 32% believe victory is more likely than not, but without full conviction. The gap between willingness to fight and confidence in winning has widened – a sign that Ukrainians are preparing themselves psychologically for a longer, more uncertain struggle than they may have anticipated when the invasion began in February 2022.

This shift reflects the grinding nature of the war. Ukrainian cities have endured months of sustained Russian missile strikes. Energy infrastructure has been repeatedly targeted, leaving civilians without heat and electricity through winter months. The frontline has barely moved in recent months, with neither side achieving decisive territorial gains. In this context, “endurance” has become less about optimism and more about resignation – a recognition that the conflict will not be resolved quickly, regardless of ultimate outcome.

The polling also shows Ukrainians increasingly open to negotiations. In March 2026, 70% of respondents viewed ongoing peace talks as futile. But by September, 75% indicated they would accept negotiations with Russia – a significant shift in a population that earlier surveys showed was adamantly opposed to territorial concessions ^[4]. Sixty percent still rejected handing over all of Donbas in exchange for security guarantees, but the willingness to discuss terms has grown ^[5].

What these figures suggest is not a population unified in conviction, but one adapting to a new reality: the war will not be won quickly, victory may look different than initially imagined, and survival – both military and civilian – requires a different kind of resolve than the early months of the conflict demanded. Ukrainians appear to be settling in for what they believe will be a long struggle, even as their confidence in what “victory” will ultimately deliver has become more conditional.