Europeans have doubts about Zelensky, support to Kiev: Surveys

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Financial Times
16 Jul 2023 08:54

The least amount of support for Kiev was demonstrated in Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, and Slovakia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky waits for the start of a bilateral meeting with Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz during a NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 12, 2023 (AP)

Residents of a number of European countries have doubts about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and arms supplies to Ukraine, the Financial Times reported citing Pew Research Center and Eurobarometer studies.

The Pew Research Center poll showed that only 11% of respondents in Hungary, 28% of those polled in Greece, and 38% of survey participants in Italy said they were confident in Zelensky’s actions on the international level, while the majority have serious doubts about the Ukrainian leader.

According to the Eurobarometer study, the least amount of support for Kiev was demonstrated in Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, and Slovakia.

Over 50% of those polled in each of these countries, except the Czech Republic, said they were against financial and military support for Ukraine, the study found.

In addition, survey participants in the seven aforementioned countries demonstrated a negative attitude toward Ukraine potentially becoming a member of the European Union.

This comes as senior Ukrainian officials indicated that Kiev is in urgent need of US F-16 fighter jets.

During last week's NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, a coalition of 11 states led by Denmark and the Netherlands formally committed to training Ukrainians to fly F-16s and other fighter aircraft.

Speaking before the summit, Zelensky chastised the West for delaying the training of Ukrainian pilots.

"I have the same questions as you do for our esteemed partners," he said in response to a question about the fighter jets' delivery dates.

"We have agreed, we have pressed, and we have a coalition of countries that are ready to start training for Ukrainian pilots. [But] there is no schedule for training missions, and they’re delaying it. I don’t know why they’re doing this," Zelensky added.

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