Views of the Ukraine crisis: Russia, the West, and the future of European security

A year and a half after protests in Kiev began, the tensions in Ukraine are not yet resolved. The Russian annexation of Crimea and the subsequent collapse in relations between the West and Russia appear to have fundamentally altered European security and put an end to the hope of integrating Russia into the Western order. But while Western leaders condemn Vladimir Putin for his actions, what do citizens of Ukraine, NATO member countries, and Russia think?

On June 10, the Foreign Policy program at Brookings hosted the launch of The Pew Research Center’s latest public opinion survey on the crisis in Ukraine. The survey of Russia, Ukraine and eight NATO member countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States) examines who is to blame for the crisis, whether economic aid and arms should be sent to Ukraine, if NATO publics want to live up to their Article 5 obligations, what Russians think of the West and what others think of Russia, and views of various leaders involved, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, among other topics. The survey provides critical information about perceptions of the Ukraine conflict, and offers insight into how the West might respond.

Following discussion, the panelists took audience questions.

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