A recent survey conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) in May-June 2025 reveals a growing pessimism among Ukrainians regarding their country’s future. Nearly 47% of respondents now believe that in ten years, Ukraine is more likely to be a ruined nation experiencing significant population decline rather than a prosperous member of the European Union. This marks a sharp increase in pessimism compared to December 2024, when 57% of Ukrainians expected prosperity within the EU, and an even more dramatic shift from October 2022, when 88% were optimistic about Ukraine’s future, and only 5% feared destruction and mass emigration.

The data, highlighted in an article by Ukrainska Pravda citing KIIS executive director Anton Hrushetskyi, shows a steady decline in positive expectations since 2022, although 43% of respondents still hold hope for a prosperous Ukraine in a decade. The surge in negative sentiment is largely attributed to the dashed hopes surrounding US President Donald Trump’s inauguration, whose promises to end the war had initially given Ukrainians reason for optimism. Following Trump’s friendly exchanges with Vladimir Putin and a public dispute with President Zelensky, expectations for American intervention to end the conflict diminished considerably.

Despite this growing pessimism, sociologists emphasize that Ukrainians remain firmly opposed to territorial concessions or any peace terms resembling surrender. Hrushetskyi noted that although morale has suffered following changes in US policy and rhetoric towards Russia, the vast majority of Ukrainians still reject ending the war on unfavorable terms. Moreover, recent data suggests a slight strengthening in national unity, with around 60% of respondents believing Ukraine is moving towards cohesion rather than division.

Overall, while the mood among Ukrainians has grown more cautious and less optimistic over the past three years, the sense of solidarity and determination to resist unfavorable compromises remains strong amid ongoing conflict and uncertainty.

Sources:

• KIIS
• Ukrainska Pravda