INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
people across continents view the Russia-Ukraine war, its outcomes, and a possible solution.
The report is based on a new multi-country
global poll to track what the public thinks about the ongoing conflict.
According to the report, a majority of Indians view both the US and
Russia as allies and think that the Russia-Ukraine war should end as soon as possible even if it means that Ukraine has to give up on
which is likely partly because, for them, China is either an 'adversary' (39 per cent) or a 'rival' (37 per cent)
the EU, Great Britain, and their own country, according to the report.
The report also highlights that Indians appear to feel positive
Their main responses when asked to describe their country are that it is 'rising' (35 per cent), 'strong' (28 per cent), and 'peaceful' (18
per cent).
Only a small proportion believe it is 'declining' (8 per cent) or 'weak' (7 per cent)
By way of comparison, 31 per cent of Americans and Britons characterise their own country as 'declining'.
India is also the only CITRUS
country, where the prevailing opinion is that the US (28 per cent) and Europe (36 per cent) are mostly supporting Ukraine to defend it as a
democracy, according to the report.
The poll suggests that while the ongoing war has united the west as European and American citizens hold
many views in common on global questions, citizens from non-western countries like China and India hold starkly different opinions.
"...a
understandings of why the US and Europe support Ukraine."
While the Europeans and Americans agree they should help Ukraine to win the war
and see Russia as their avowed adversary, citizens in China, India, and Turkey prefer a quick end to the war even if Ukraine has to concede
Moreover, around three-quarters in each of these two countries and in India believe that Russia is either stronger, or at least equally
strong, compared to how they say they perceived it before the war."
The report suggests that western citizens believe that the coming
global order will most likely be defined by two blocs led by the US and China respectively.
In contrast, citizens in non-western countries
foresee emergence of a multipolar world order as against a bipolar one.
The poll highlights that around 54 per cent of Indians agreed that
the conflict between Russia and Ukraine needs to stop as soon as possible, even if it means Ukraine giving control of areas of its territory
Whereas, in the west, the new consensus among European governments is that only a Ukrainian victory will stop "Putin's war".
"In China, a
plurality of those asked (42 per cent) agree that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine needs to stop as soon as possible, even if it
means Ukraine giving control of areas of its territory to Russia
This desire to end the war soon is even stronger in Turkiye (48 per cent) and India (54 per cent)."
The poll was conducted in December 2022
and January 2023 in nine EU countries and Great Britain, and in China, India, Turkey, Russia, and the US (the CITRUS countries, to use the
both the consolidation of the West and the emergence of the long-heralded post-Western international order.
