MOSCOW, February 21. /TASS/. More than 70% of Ukrainian citizens support the diplomatic settlement of the conflict with Russia, according to a survey conducted by the Kiev International Institute of Sociology.

"Ukrainians remain open to the negotiation process. In May 2022, 59%, and in February 2024, 72% of respondents agreed with the opinion that Ukraine should also look for a diplomatic way to end the war," according to data published on the institute’s website.

In all Ukrainian regions "most residents are generally open to the diplomatic track."

The survey was held on February 5-10 via phone interviews, polling 1,202 respondents over 18. The statistical error of such a sample did not exceed 3.2% for indicators close to 50%, 2.7% for indicators close to 25%, 2.1% - for indicators close to 10%, and 1.4% - for indicators close to 5%.

The Russian government had already on a number of occasions voiced its readiness to negotiate with Ukraine to reach a settlement of the conflict. At the same time, however, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova pointed out that the main obstacle standing in the way of such talks was the prohibition on conducting negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which was legally enshrined by Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s decree of September 30, 2022, "as well as the initiatives of the Ukrainian head of state, which indicate official Kiev’s complete detachment from modern realities," including the demand to withdraw Russian troops from the new regions of the country.