Share of Ukrainians who see NATO as best security guarantee falls to 38%

The share of Ukrainians who view NATO membership as the best way to guarantee Ukraine's security has fallen from 55% to 38% over the past year.

Source: a nationwide representative survey by the Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation in cooperation with the sociological service of the Razumkov Centre conducted between 5 and 16 December 2025, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The survey suggests that messages from some of Ukraine's international partners, especially the United States, have weakened public confidence in NATO as the most reliable security option, although it remains the single most popular option.

Support for NATO membership as the best guarantee has dropped from 55% in December last year to 38% now.

The decline has not been matched by a rise in support for non-aligned status.

Instead, expectations have shifted towards alternative, less ambitious or more flexible security models. The share of respondents placing their hopes in strategic defence cooperation agreements with individual NATO member states has risen from 9% to 15%. Support has also increased for Ukraine having neutral status but with international security guarantees, up from 12% to 16%, and for a model based solely on Ukraine's own defence capabilities without external guarantees, up from 3% to 7%.

Quote: "These shifts show less a change in values than growing doubts about how realistic fast NATO accession is amid a protracted war and mixed signals from international partners."

Background: A separate study found earlier that European leaders' willingness to continue supporting Ukraine despite a US "pivot" has boosted trust in the European Union, while trust in NATO among Ukrainians has fallen noticeably.

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