Perception of Belarus by Ukrainians (February–March 2023)

March 13, 2023

Results of a public opinion poll conducted by the Razumkov Centre Sociological Service on February 22 - March 1, 2023.

The face-to-face poll was held in Vinnytsia, Volyn, Dnipropetrovsk, Zhytomyr, Transcarpathian, Zaporizhia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv, Kirovohrad, Lviv, Mykolayiv, Odesa, Poltava, Rivne, Sumy, Ternopil, Kharkiv, Khmelnytskyi, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Chernivtsi regions and the city of Kyiv (in Zaporizhia, Mykolayiv, Kharkiv, Kherson regions – only in the territories controlled by the government of Ukraine, free of hostilities).

The poll was conducted using stratified a multistage sample with random selection at the initial stages of sampling and quota selection of respondents at the final stage (when respondents were selected on the basis of gender and age quotas). The sample structure reproduced the demographic structure of the adult population of the territories where the poll was held as of the beginning of 2022 (by age, sex, settlement type).

2020 respondents over 18 years were polled. The sample theoretical error does not exceed 2.3%. At the same time, additional systemic deviations of the sample may be caused by the consequences of the Russian aggression, in particular, forced evacuation of millions of citizens.

The vast majority of respondents (80.6%) believes that Belarus is a party to the war against Ukraine. 7.5% of respondents holds the opposite opinion.

In general, Ukrainian society shows a strong dislike towards Belarus. More than 80% of respondents reported a negative attitude to Belarus (56.3% - fully negative, 24.4% - mainly negative). A positive attitude to Belarus was reported by 12.4% of respondents (3.1% - fully positive, 9.3% - mainly positive). 

Ukrainian citizens reported rejection of Alyaksandr Lukashenka. More than 90% of respondents have a negative attitude to Lukashenka (76.3% - fully negative, 15.9% - mainly negative). 3.3% of those polled reported a positive attitude to that figure (0.5% - fully positive, and 2.8% - mainly positive).

Two-thirds of the respondents fully (46.7%) or mainly (22.5%) support a complete breach of all relations between Ukraine and Belarus after Ukraine's victory. 5.4% of respondents do not support a complete breach of relations between Ukraine and Belarus at all, 11.2% tend not to support it.

Do you think that Belarus is a party to the war against Ukraine?

Yes

80.6

No

7.5

Hard to say

11.9

What is your attitude to Belarus?

Fully positive

3.1

Mainly positive

9.3

Mainly negative

24.4

Fully negative

56.3

No idea / hard to say

6.9


What is your attitude to Alyaksandr Lukashenka?

Fully positive

0.5

Mainly positive

2.8

Mainly negative

15.9

Fully negative

76.3

No idea / hard to say

4.5


Do you support a complete breach of all relations between Ukraine and Belarus after Ukraine’s victory and de-occupation of its territory, up to the full ban on the entry of citizens of Belarus into Ukraine (except for those who request political asylum)?

Yes

46.7

Rather, yes

22.5

Rather, no

11.2

No

5.4

Hard to say

14.3

 

https://razumkov.org.ua/napriamky/sotsiologichni-doslidzhennia/stavlennia-ukraintsiv-do-bilorusi-liutyi-berezen-2023r