More than half of Slovaks would welcome a military victory of Russia over Ukraine, a new survey published on Wednesday has found.
The representative survey named “How are you Slovakia?” has been conducted by MNFORCE and Seesame agencies and the Slovak Academy of Sciences.
Those surveyed had to respond to the survey using a 10-point scale, according to which 1 means a clear victory for Russia and 10 for Ukraine.
Approximately a fifth of respondents said they wish for a clear victory for Russia, with more than half saying they are inclined toward a Russian win.
Meanwhile, only a third said they tended towards Ukraine, and only 18% expressed no preference.
Divisions are clearly noticeable on the party level. For example, the overwhelming majority of voters of the SMER-SD of former Prime Minister Robert Fico are on the Russian side.
Fico is a vocal opponent of anti-Russian sanctions and even celebrated the anniversary of the Slovak National Uprising with the Russian ambassador. SMER-SD is still a member of the Party of European Socialists (PES).
Regarding the geographical differences, only the population of Bratislava has a majority of people wishing for Ukraine to win.
Slovakia has long been one of the most pro-Russian countries in the EU, alongside Bulgaria.
A survey conducted in the summer of 2021 showed that 55% of Slovaks had a favourable opinion of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Among central and eastern European countries, only Bulgarians thought better of Putin (75%).
In February 2022, before the invasion, 44% of people blamed NATO and the US for the tension on the Ukrainian borders, while only 33% blamed Russia.
Regarding NATO membership, only 45% supported it in the survey from 2021. Right after the invasion, support has risen, but it has started to decline again recently.
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