A majority of Ukrainians would strongly oppose a withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the part of eastern Donetsk region still under Kiev's control in exchange for European and American security guarantees, according to a poll published today, cited by Reuters, BTA reports.
The agency notes that Ukraine, which has a sad history of unfulfilled commitments in the past, is insisting on legally binding security guarantees to prevent any future Russian invasion.
Kiev is under pressure from Washington to quickly agree to a peace deal, but refuses to accept Russia's demands to cede territories it still controls in Donbas - a vast industrial region that is rich of natural resources and includes Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
Russia controls almost all of Luhansk region, but Kiev still holds about 20% of Donetsk region, including a number of fortified towns and defensive lines there.
According to a poll by the Kiev International Sociological Institute (KISI), 54% of Ukrainians categorically reject the idea of withdrawing from parts of Donbas in exchange for security guarantees from Ukraine's allies.
Nearly 39% of those polled would reluctantly agree to this option.
"Moreover, those who are ready to agree expect very firm security guarantees. Therefore, if the scope of security guarantees is smaller than expected, approval for such a proposal would be even weaker," said Anton Grushetsky, executive director of the KMSI.
The sociological survey was conducted in early January among 601 respondents in the territory controlled by Ukraine.
The survey shows that almost 70% of those surveyed do not believe that the current negotiations will lead to lasting peace.
Nearly 57% believe that Russia will attack again in the event of a ceasefire on the current front lines and security guarantees from Kiev's allies.
Even if certain security guarantees are given, 40% of respondents believe that the United States will not come to the aid of Ukraine in the event of a repeat of the Russian invasion, and according to 39%, Washington will.
Russia shows no interest of compromises regarding its demands and has so far made scant comments on the 20-point peace plan that the United States and Ukraine are trying to turn into a peace agreement, Reuters points out.
Kiev has only about half of the electricity it needs, the mayor of the Ukrainian capital, Vitali Klitschko, said on Monday, quoted by Reuters.
The agency notes that this happened at a time when the city is facing its worst energy crisis since the start of the war nearly four years ago after a wave of Russian attacks on infrastructure facilities.
Kiev, one of the largest cities in Eastern Europe, needs generating capacity capable of generating 1,700 megawatts of electricity to meet the needs of its 3.6 million residents, Klitschko said in an interview with Reuters.
The mayor said the current energy crisis is the most difficult task facing the Ukrainian capital since Russia invaded the country in February 2022.
"For the first time in the history of our city, in such severe frosts, most of the city was left without heating and with a huge shortage of electricity," Klitschko, a former world heavyweight boxing champion, told Reuters from his office in central Kiev.
Klitschko said Ukraine's international partners had sent additional generators and repair crews were working around the clock to restore heating after a Russian strike last week that cut off supplies to 6,000 residential buildings. About 100 buildings still had no heating, the mayor said.
Ukraine declared an energy crisis this week as its power grid crumbled under Russian bombing amid bitter cold and accumulating damage from the war, Reuters reported.