Interfax: 53% of Ukrainians are pro-EU, have doubts about association deal in November

(Interfax – KYIV, October 17, 2013) Some 53% of Ukrainians support entry into the European Union, 35% do not and 12% cannot make up their mind, according to the Rating sociological group, which held its poll on September 26 – October 6, 2013.

In the opinion of 47% of the respondents, Ukraine will gain more from a free trade zone agreement with the European Union than from its affiliation with the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan. Thirty-four percent argue the opposite, and 19% were hesitant to respond.

A total of 38% support a single state of Ukraine, Russia and Belarus, 50% do not and 12% are undecided.

“This is the smallest number of supporters of a single state with Russia and the highest number of its opponents recorded in the past three years. Interestingly, almost 40% of Ukrainians who favored a single state with Russia in 2011 also supported the Ukrainian entry into the European Union. Their number declined to 30% in 2012, 25% in early 2013 and 20% in October 2013,” the Rating website said.

The number of respondents maintaining that the agreement with the European Union would be more profitable than the Customs Union has reached its maximum of the past three years; the indicator has grown from 39% to 47%. Western and northern areas of Ukraine stand for the European Union, the south and Donbas advocate for the entry into the Customs Union, and people living in the center and the east are divided 50/50.

Some 49% expect Ukraine and the European Union to sign the association agreement in November 2013. A quarter of respondents does not believe that this will occur. In the opinion of 38% of the respondents the possible signing of the agreement will be the result of joint efforts of Ukraine and Europe. Thirteen percent say Ukraine will have to do more than Europe, and 26% suggest larger efforts being made on the part of the EU.

The group polled 2,000 respondents older than 18 in face-to-face interviews throughout Ukraine. The non-sampling error (with a 0.95 probability) is no more than 2.2% for digits close to 50% and no more than 1% for digits close to 5%.