Analysis from Unherd:

'One recent Ipsos survey shows a downward trend in support for sending weapons and/or air-defence systems to Ukraine in Europe, with German support falling below half for the first time (down by seven percentage points to 48% between March-April 2022 and November-December 2022) and the Netherlands (down by six percentage points to 59%).

More surprising, though, is that even among Ukraine’s loudest supporters there appears to be some degree of war-weariness: in the same Ipsos survey, there was a 10-percentage point decline among Poles supporting the most stringent economic sanctions against Russia and an 11-percentage point decline in accepting Ukrainian refugees.

According to one January Forsa poll, an astonishing 80% of Germans said that it was more important to end the conflict quickly with negotiations than for Ukraine to win. Similarly, a survey of nine EU countries by Euroskopia found that over 60% of Austrians and Germans want the war to end quickly whereas the Dutch, Portuguese and Polish are strongly opposed to this idea.

War fatigue thus appears to be setting in faster in Germany than in any other country, with public opinion hardening in recent months. Almost half of Germans (43%) now agree that ‘the problems of Ukraine are none of our business, and we should not interfere’, marking an 11-percentage point increase from March-April 2022 to November-December 2022. This may go some way towards explaining the rise of Sahra Wagenknecht, one of the co-leaders of Die Linke, who is, with some success, spearheading an anti-war movement in Germany.

Western leaders displayed remarkable levels of unity during the first year of the war. One year in, however, and their voters are beginning to be more hesitant in their commitment.'

The original article contains links to all its polls but I removed them to reduce to the length of the post.

Edited by Stirlingsays (24 Feb 2023 1.52am)

I have no interest in pulling apart all the views of someone whose central plank from the outset has been the appeasement of a brutal dictator.

You seem to see all of this solely in economic terms, yet in other threads you will happily bang on about Brexit being about much more than that.

What will emerge from this war is a lasting restraint of Putin's desire to reoccupy the former USSR countries. You don't think that is worth the cost. Other's disagree.

How and when it ends is unknown but inevitably will be some kind of fudged compromise in which each side can claim a victory. Who is leading both sides when that happens is also an unknown.

To compare this situation, in any way, with lockdowns is risible. As is to suggest my support for them was based on a lack of concern for other people's money, when the truth is it was a concern for other people's lives.

I too saw the estimate that the Russian economy had only taken a 2% hit. Putin made the claim in his speech on Tuesday. If it is as accurate as his other claims then anyone who believes it is a fool. What's true is the Russian economy has been bolstered by the increased value of gas and oil, but those windfall profits are ending and Putin has fractured trust, which won't easily be repaired. Other analyses suggest that the cracks are only now beginning to show and it's this year, rather than last, when the real impact of sanctions will bite and dissent will increase. Add to that the impact of body bags returning home, which is seen in Russia but not the west, and their future isn't all sunshine and roses.

We aren't fighting a war. We are helping a sovereign nation defend itself. Not only because it is morally right to do so but because, ultimately, it's also in our own interests.

The west has no interest at all in occupying an inch of Russian territory, or in determining how they govern themselves. They might encourage democratic thought and offer encouragement to those Russians who aspire to it, but direct action, never. I wish the west would find ways of ensuring that message reaches the ears of the Russian people by it being said in speeches which could not easily be censored by Russian media. We need to overcome the way the people there are indoctrinated.

Your resolve of 5:04pm didn't last long

I have no interest in pulling apart all the views of someone whose central plank from the outset has been the appeasement of a brutal dictator.

It was a very reasonable post. It would seem you're resorting to abuse and deflection to defend your hopeless argument.

As for sifting through nearly 400 posts to understand your view, you overestimate its significance.

Abuse? Wow, hyperbolic much?

Hopeless argument? My position is held by many academics and policy specialists in the area over the last 15 years....Farage holds it, Orban holds it.....but yeah ok, whatever.

Cool, don't bother reading back. However that at least informs you why I can't be bothered to continually make the same points to different posters who raise the same media presented perspectives.

We will see whose position ends up being the end result in this war....remember me then Eagle, because I wasn't the one lying to you.

Edited by Stirlingsays (25 Feb 2023 9.10am)