A record number of Russian citizens now want the war to end, according to a new poll by the independent pollster, the Levada Center, the Moscow Times reported on June 3.

The poll, conducted between May 22 and 28 across 50 Russian regions, found that 64% of respondents favoured peace negotiations—up six percentage points from March. Meanwhile, support for continuing the war fell to 28%, down from 34% in the same period.

Support for ending the conflict has grown steadily over the past two years. In May 2023, 48% of Russians said the war should continue. By May 2024, that figure had dropped to 43%.

The latest data was published shortly after the second round of direct peace talks between Ukraine and Russia took place in Istanbul on May 16, raising hopes that a negotiated end to the hostilities could appear soon.

While no ceasefire agreement was reached, the negotiations resulted in a new 1,000 for a 1,000 prisoner exchange and the repatriation of 6,000 bodies of fallen Ukrainian soldiers.

Levada’s survey also highlights demographic and political divides. Support for peace is highest among women (73%), young people under 24 (77%), and residents of smaller towns and villages (67%). It is also prominent among respondents who believe Russia is moving in the wrong direction (76%) and those who disapprove of President Vladimir Putin’s performance (77%).

Conversely, backing for continued military action is stronger among men (39%), those aged 55 and older (35%), and Moscow residents (40%). Among those who say the country is headed in the right direction, 32% support the war, as do 30% of those who approve of Putin’s leadership.

A majority—73%—of respondents said Russia and Ukraine should address the “root causes” of the conflict before agreeing to a ceasefire – a phrase often repeated by Putin as the reason to delay ceasefire talks. Just 18% believed a truce should come first.

Only 3% of those surveyed viewed Russia as an obstacle to peace, while 36% blamed Ukraine and 36% pointed to European countries. 14% said the United States bore responsibility for blocking peace efforts.

Putin remains popular

While support for bringing the war to end may be rising, as the conflict moves into its fourth year, that has not affected Putin’s personal popularity.

The level of trust in Putin among the Russian public remains steady and is currently 81%, while 82% of respondents approve of his job performance, a survey conducted by the Public Opinion Foundation (FOM) showed between May 23-25 of 1,500 respondents, TASS reported on May 30.

A total of 57% of those polled said they approved of the Russian government’s handling of the country (a 1% increase), while 61% approved of Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin’s performance (a 3% increase).

Support for the government also remains unusually strong with some fluctuations. The ruling United Russia party fell by 2% to 46%. Support for the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (KPRF) rose by 1% to 8%, while support for the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia remained at 10%. The A Just Russia-For Truth party’s support held steady at 3%, while support for the New People party increased by 1% to 2%.