Support is continuing to rise among the Czech public for providing military aid to Ukraine, according to a survey conducted by the STEM polling institute in June. The number of people who consider the Czech military support for Ukraine to be insufficient has risen from 4% in mid-2024 to 13% now. “Combined with a decline in the number of those who have no opinion, this is leading to a gradual increase in support for this aid,” said STEM analyst Jiri Taborsky.
As in January, roughly 40% of respondents were in favour of scaling back military aid.
However, Taborsky noted that the results could also have been influenced by the changing political situation and the new Czech government’s approach to military aid for Ukraine. “Typically, it may be the case that someone considers the support adequate in response to the government’s statement that it has significantly reduced [military aid to Ukraine] and will continue to do so,” he noted.
A majority of people are interested in the conflict in Ukraine, remaining at a similar level to January (63%), but the number of those who are very interested in the war increased. The survey showed that interest in the conflict is generally higher among men and people with university education, and also increases with age.
Public support for allowing Ukrainian refugees to remain in the Czech Republic dropped by 5 percentage points. In January, 58% expressed support for this, the highest number since the question was first asked in 2023.
Nearly half of Czechs (49%) considered Ukrainian refugees as a threat for the country in the most recent poll, while 37% saw them as a benefit. “Overall, public perception of refugees has not changed significantly and has remained stable over the long term,” said Taborsky.
According to STEM, the option of bringing the conflict to a swift end even at the cost of losing part of Ukraine’s territory continues to enjoy the strongest support, although support for fighting to regain lost territory is also rising slightly amid increasing reports of Ukrainian successes.
Around 65% of those surveyed prefer a quick end to the war, even if it means Ukraine losing some territory. The remaining 35% believe that the Czech Republic should support Ukraine in regaining the lost territory, even if it prolongs the conflict.
