More Canadians want Ukraine to keep fighting than seek deal — but not by much: poll

As Russia's invasion of Ukraine approaches the two-year mark, polling suggests Canadians are nearly split on a path forward and their support for continued aid for Kyiv is dipping.

A plurality of Canadians say Ukraine should keep fighting against Russia’s invasion but one third say the country should negotiate a peace deal — even if it means giving up land, according to a new poll as the war nears the two-year mark.

Almost 40 per cent of Canadians surveyed by Ipsos in the poll exclusive to Global News said Ukraine should keep fighting. But 30 per cent said Kyiv should broker a settlement to the conflict, even one that includes ceding territory currently occupied by Russia. The remaining 31 per cent of respondents said they don’t know what should happen next.

“They’re not that far apart,” said Sean Simpson, vice president of Ipsos Public Affairs, of the poll results.

“We’re at two years now, there seems to be a bit of a stalemate, nobody seems to be budging. And so (Canadians are asking), how long is this situation going to continue?”

The poll, which surveyed 1,001 Canadians across the country last month, found that while a majority of Canadians still support Ukraine and the federal government’s continued aid, that support is lower than it was in 2022 after Russia first invaded.

Just 54 per cent of those surveyed said they still closely follow news about the war — down from 74 per cent in 2022 — while 58 per cent said they are still just as concerned as they were when the invasion began, though that has dipped seven points from a year ago.

Meanwhile, the number of people who said Canada cannot afford to continue to help Ukraine financially, given the current economic crisis at home, rose to 54 per cent, up from 48 per cent last year and 45 per cent in 2022.

Simpson said unlike two years ago, when Ukraine dominated the news headlines, the war has been overshadowed by the Israel-Hamas conflict that began in October — not to mention mounting concerns over the cost of living, crime and immigration in Canada.