Russians are well aware of the Minsk agreement but they can hardly believe that the arrangements will be implemented.
MOSCOW, February 27, 2015. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the information concerning the Russian opinion on the following questions: how many Russians are aware of the negotiations over the Ukrainian conflict; who plays the main role in arranging the settlement; whether the ceasefire regime will be respected or not.
Most of Russians are aware of the negotiations over the Ukrainian conflict that took place on February 11-12 in Minsk (80%), including 31% of those who know about it in details and 49% of those who heard something but do not know any details. Those who are most informed are elderly respondents (37% of those aged over 60) and those who graduated from the universities (40%).
Seventy-six percent of Russians report that the main decision of the “Norman Quartet” was ceasefire and withdrawal of troops; 6% mention exchange of war prisoners; 3% cite special status of DPR and LPR; 2% cite constitution reform.
More than half of Russians (55%) are confident that the parties managed to arrange settlements due to the participation of Vladimir Putin in negotiations. Every fourth (24%) is confident that everyone contributed equally. Few respondents recognize the important role that the western leaders (French president Francois Hollande and German chancellor Angela Merkel) played in the negotiations (7%). Only 1% of respondents say that it is Petro Poroshenko who played the main role in resolving the conflict. Two percent cite leaders of DPR and LPR.
Most of Russians do not believe that the military actions will be stopped in Ukraine (61%); after the September 2014 Minsk accords the share of such persons was the same (61%). At the same time, they are opposed by 25% of Russians who believe that the ceasefire will be respected. Respondents with high financial income are more optimistic than those who have low income (34% and 18%, respectively).
The VCIOM opinion poll was conducted on February 21-22, 2015; 1600 respondents were interviewed in 132 communities in 46 regions of Russia. The margin of error does not exceed 3.5%.
Do you know/have you heard/have you found for the first time about the Minsk negotiations to resolve the Donbas conflict? (closed-ended question, one answer) | |||
| September 2014 | February 2015 | |
I am well aware | 35 | 31 | |
I heard something but I do not know any details | 51 | 49 | |
I have found about it for the first time | 13 | 16 | |
Don`t know | 1 | 4 | |
What Minsk arrangements do you know about? (open-ended question, any number of answers, % of those who know about the Minsk negotiations) | ||
| Total respondents | |
Ceasefire, troop withdrawal, conclusion of truce | 76 | |
Exchange of war prisoners | 6 | |
DPR and LPR special status | 3 | |
Constitutional reform | 2 | |
Elections | 1 | |
Providing Ukraine with economic and humanitarian assistance | 1 | |
Further negotiations | 1 | |
Nothing was arranged | 1 | |
Positive results in general | 1 | |
Social payments to citizens | <1 | |
Input of peacekeepers to monitor the observance of the treaty conditions | <1 | |
Amnesty | <1 | |
Restoration of the destroyed cities | <1 | |
Other | 1 | |
Don`t know | 21 | |
In your opinion, who played the key role in achieving the Minsk arrangements? (closed-ended question, one answer) | |||||||
| Total respondents | A Just Russia party | Supporters of LDPR | Supporters of CPRF | Supporters of United Russia party | Supporters of non-parliament parties | I would not take part in elections |
Russian president Putin | 55 | 56 | 67 | 63 | 60 | 28 | 44 |
Everyone equally | 24 | 20 | 17 | 19 | 23 | 21 | 29 |
French president Hollande and Chancellor of Germany Merkel | 7 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 5 | 26 | 10 |
Representatives of DPR and LPR Zakharchenko and Plotnitsky | 2 | 4 | - | 2 | 2 | 9 | 2 |
Ukrainian president Poroshenko | 1 | - | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | - |
Other | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 2 |
Don`t know | 8 | 13 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 13 |
Among other things, the Kiev authorities and the Donbas insurgents agreed on a ceasefire. Will the ceasefire be respected, in your opinion? (closed-ended question, one answer) | |||
| September 2014 | February 2015 | |
Rather yes | 28 | 25 | |
Rather no | 61 | 61 | |
Don`t know | 11 | 14 | |
Note: Using materials from the site www.wciom.ru or wciom.com, as well as distributed by VCIOM, the reference to the source (or hyperlink for the electronic media) is obligatory!