MOSCOW, May 4. /TASS/. The Ukrainian authorities have changed their rhetoric and started talking about peace talks, because opinion polls indicate a fatigue from hostilities in the Ukrainian society, Ukrainian experts, interviewed by Focus.Ua.
"I believe that the change in the victory rhetoric has happened in February, 2024, when [Zelensky] announced a peace summit. The fuss around the Swiss Foreign Ministry started. It has become clear back then that the negotiations track will take place in parallel with hostilities. The Ukrainian authority reflects the moods in the society, which changes and becomes more conciliatory due to the circumstances of war," says political researcher Oleg Posternak. "It is no secret that a part of the society has become tired of tension, missile attacks, death of relatives, and the authorities have to take it into consideration."
Posternak noted that the authorities constantly carry out sociological public opinion surveys, see the dynamic and adjust their statements in accordance with the poll results.
"The Ukrainian authorities are well aware that it is impossible to endlessly keep pushing the idea of ‘war until victory,’ remote and very nebulous. It is also necessary to support the part of the society that hopes for peace. And to send them a message," he said, adding that this is also being done for the Western society, "which will be welcome the peace track and will be more willing to assist in this direction."
Meanwhile, political researcher Igor Reyterovich opined that, by making more conciliatory statements, the Ukrainian authorities "leave room for maneuvering ahead of the summit in Switzerland."
Focus.Ua noted that, since September, 2023, social researchers have been registering a decrease in various indicators that show the public trust in the authorities. Thus, in February, 2024, polls indicated that the share of respondents believing that the Ukraine moves in a wrong direction has increased. In addition, head of the Kiev International Sociology Institute Vladimir Paniotto told Focus that the amount of people that are "ready to compromise for peace" has increased recently.