In Europe and the United States, nuances in public opinion are noticeable as the war drags on. Differences are accentuated between the British, who are still determined to support Ukraine, and the Italians, who are working from a pacifist current, or the Slovaks, who are reticent in the face of the influx of refugees.
Unconditional support in the UK
British opinion has not changed: since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it has shown one strong support for the Ukrainian resistance and little talk of the government’s substantial military aid to Kiev. And with gas prices skyrocketing, she blamed the super-profits of the energy companies rather than the effects of a deadlocked conflict. According to an Ipsos poll of October 31, 2022, six out of ten Britons approved of British aid to Ukraine and only 12% opposed it.
Media, politicians, representatives of civil society: everyone is on the same wavelength. “Ukraine can count on Britain’s long-term help,” Prime Minister Rishi Sunak assured in mid-January when he announced the dispatch of fourteen Challenger 2 assault tanks to Kiev and pointed the way to other Western countries. “The UK reiterates its unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its recognized borders and for Ukraine’s right to establish its own security arrangements, including future membership of NATO,” 10 Downing Street said in a joint statement with the Ukrainian government. published on February 8 during Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s surprise visit to London.
Among Westerners, the British are most likely to see Russia as “an adversary with whom the country is at war.”
The reception of the President of Ukraine in the British Parliament was further evidence of this national consensus. Gathered in full force in the vast Westminster Hall, the oldest part of the Palace of Westminster and the highest seat of the British parliamentary monarchy, MPs and members of the House of Lords, all political colors united, threw themselves in a communion that listened enthusiastically to the Ukrainian leader who hails the UK’s “courage” and calls for the deployment of fighter jets to Ukraine.
Also Read: Rishi Sunak Shows Support for Ukraine During First Diplomatic Exchange
Earlier in the day, the usual tournament of speakers at the Prime Minister’s Questions session in the House of Commons had turned into a peaceful exchange: Labor leader Keir Starmer unreservedly endorsed the Conservative government’s policies – “we must be in this chamber with one vote speak” – and seems to go even further, calling for “more sanctions” against Russia and the establishment of a war crimes tribunal in The Hague to try President Putin.
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