Generally speaking, do you think that the events in Ukraine are developing in the right or wrong direction? This question was the starting point for a survey carried out by the Ukrainian Razumkov Center at the end of May. The result may surprise. Because even though the war is raging, a clear majority of Ukrainians are positive about the development in their country. 55.7 percent believe there is reason to say that the country is moving in the right direction. 21.9 per cent think it is going in the wrong direction, while 22.4 per cent think the question is difficult to answer. Ukrainians are actually more positive today than before Putin invaded the country on February 24 last year. – People have become more aware In a park in the capital Kyiv, friends Alina Mikhaltsyuk and Viktoria Chepeleva sit on a bench and play cards. They believe that the country is certainly on the right track. – I agree with that view. I believe that our president is doing what he can so that our country will improve and that it will develop to become more like countries in Europe and the USA, says Alina. She believes that Zelenskyj is doing a lot to improve the economy and get other countries to support Ukraine. POPULAR: President Volodymyr Zelenskyj has great confidence in the population. Over 83 percent say in the survey that they trust the president. Photo: HANDOUT / AFP Viktoria does not think it is strange that Ukrainians are positive about the development even though the country is in the middle of a war. – People have become more aware as a result of the war. More people speak Ukrainian and care more about what is happening in society, she says. Strategy for survival The war has changed the view of many Ukrainians on how they see their country. The survey shows that more Ukrainians believe their homeland is developing in the right direction after Putin’s full-scale invasion on 24 February last year. In December 2021, the number was 20 percent. Ukrainians were asked about the survey 2020 in the period 21–23 May 2023. The survey is about the citizens’ assessment of the situation in the country, trust in public institutions, politicians, officials and public figures. Carried out by the Ukrainian think tank Razumkov The Ukrainian psychologist, Marijka Bargrij, believes that the view that emerges in the survey is also an expression of a survival strategy. – We are all in some kind of trauma. We are all affected, she says. COMMUNITY: The Ukrainian psychologist, Marijka Bargrij, says that the war makes Ukrainians feel part of a large community. – We help each other and we fight together. We must never give up. Photo: private Everyone has their strategies for persevering, says the psychologist. – When you have a hard time and see sad things, you can say that everything is bad, but you can also be willing to see the good. One has to hope for the best. Otherwise we cannot win or fight against. Wants to become a politician For the two 16-year-olds in the park, the war is primarily tragic. – It is sad that many of our friends have gone abroad, says Viktoria. Digital teaching has led to her not being able to take the exam and plane alarms at night make school work difficult. TRAGIC: The war has made life more difficult for the two 16-year-olds. Photo: kari Skeie / news But they are optimists. Alina is currently studying law and has been inspired by the country’s president. Maybe she will become a politician. She must at least work for Ukraine to become a full-fledged democracy. – I want to use my education to make Ukraine a better country. I want my country to become an even better democracy than it is today. That people should get more rights, that they should not be afraid to express themselves or say their opinions.
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Ukrainians believe that Ukraine is moving in the right direction, according to a survey from the Razumkov center – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
