Many Ukrainians now open to ceding Donbas for security guarantees

Polls and interviews show a rising number of Ukrainians saying they would hand over the portion of the Donbas still controlled by Ukraine if doing so would bring a lasting end to the war, though most insist they would do so only with strong security guarantees.

The shift reflects a war-weary public debating concessions that were once widely seen as a red line. Surveys cited by Kyiv researchers found that support for ruling out any territorial cessions has fallen from earlier highs, and a recent institute poll reported that 40 percent of respondents would back giving up the Donbas in exchange for guarantees.

Analysts note the earlier and later polls are not directly comparable because the questions differed. Political and legal constraints complicate any deal: President Volodymyr Zelensky has publicly opposed a unilateral withdrawal even as he has signaled some willingness to compromise, and Ukrainian law bars ceding territory that has not been occupied by force.

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