Eurobarometer: Europeans approve EU response to war in Ukraine

* A Flash Eurobarometer survey conducted in all EU Member States, published today, shows a broad consensus among EU citizens in favour of the Union’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.    Most Romanians believe that since the beginning of the war, the EU has shown solidarity (78 %), its reaction being characterised by unity (70 %) and rapidity (64 %).   In addition, 63 % of Romanian respondents are satisfied with how the EU reacted (the European average being 52 %), and 82 % of them are satisfied with the reaction of Romanian citizens since the beginning of the war (above the European average of 69 %).   Most Europeans believe that since the beginning of the war, the EU has shown solidarity (79 %), with its reaction characterised by unity (63 %) and rapidity (58 %).   Respondents are largely in favour of strong support for Ukraine and its people. More than nine out of ten respondents (93 %) specifically approve humanitarian support for people affected by the war. 88 % of Europeans agree with the idea of welcoming people fleeing war to the EU. 80 % approve of financial support to Ukraine. 66 % agree that “Ukraine should join the EU when it is ready”, 71 % believe that Ukraine is part of the European family, and 89 % feel solidarity with Ukrainian citizens.   Support for sanctions imposed on Russia following its military attack on Ukraine is also very high. The vast majority of Europeans (80 %) approve economic sanctions against Russia. 79 % of Europeans approve sanctions against Russian oligarchs to impose clear economic and political costs on the Russian political elite responsible for the invasion.   Two-thirds of Europeans (67 %) agree that the EU finances the purchase and supply of military equipment to Ukraine. In addition, 75 % believe that the war in Ukraine shows that “we need increased military cooperation within the EU”.   The survey also shows broad support for EU energy action aimed at eliminating dependence on Russian fossil fuels. There is broad consensus on rebuilding EU gas stocks to avoid the risks of shortages for the coming winter (86 %), on the EU adopting measures to increase the energy efficiency of buildings, transport and goods (85 %), and on the fact that investments in renewable energies have become more urgent due to the war in Ukraine (84 %). 90 % of Europeans agree that action should be taken at European level to limit the impact of rising energy prices on consumers and businesses. 86 % of European respondents say that rising energy prices have a significant impact on their purchasing power.   (The Eurobarometer is available here:file:///home/cristiana/Desc%C4%83rc%C4%83ri/EU_response_to_war_in_Ukraine_FL506_report_en%20(1).pdf)