Half Of Russians Wants Putin To Withdraw Troops From Ukraine: Poll

Nearly half of the Russians surveyed this month support an immediate military withdrawal from Ukraine and negotiations for a peace deal, according to a report Saturday.

The independent poll, which found 49% want to end the invasion that began in February 2022, also discovered that only 32% were prepared to join the fight if ordered by the Defense Ministry, according to the Kyiv Independent.

Another 29% reportedly said they weren't willing to wage war against Ukraine.

But 53% said they supported ousting Ukrainian troops from the territory seized in Russia's Kursk region since launching a cross-border incursion Aug. 6.

And 29% said they favored another wave of conscription to boost Russia's military.

The findings are based on a survey of 800 Russians over 18 by the ExtremeScan and Chronicles polling organizations, according to the Kyiv Independent, which cited a Russian-language report on the currenttime.tv website.

The results were reportedly released to coincide with the two-year anniversary of Russia's first call-up of draftees to fight in Ukraine.

They also marked an increase of about 10 percentage points in favor of ending the war since February, according to earlier polling by ExtremeScan and Chronicles.

The companies were founded by Russian antiwar activists following the invasion of Ukraine and have shown much less popular support for the war than other Russian polling outfits.

In February, the Levada Center said 77% of those it surveyed backed the war, which the Kyiv Independent said at the time was consistent with the center's previous findings.