Nearly 60 percent of people in Finland see it as essential that Russia loses the war in Ukraine and is forced to withdraw from the country, according to a survey published by the Finnish Business and Policy Forum Eva on Saturday. Just over half of respondents said a change of regime in Russia is necessary once a permanent ceasefire or peace agreement is reached.
More than 90 percent of respondents said they consider Russia to be unstable and unpredictable, with nearly as many seeing it as an expansionist superpower (89%) and a significant military threat (85%).
More than 60 percent said that they see ordinary Russians as complicit in the war of aggression because they have not stood up to oppose it.
Strong support for Ukraine
Around 55 percent of those surveyed said they would welcome Ukraine as a member of the EU and Nato. Three quarters said they were satisfied with Finnish leaders’ actions of related to the war in Ukraine.
According to Eva, the results reflect Finns' strong support for Ukraine and strict line towards Russia, more than a year and a half since Russia's large-scale invasion of the country.
On Friday, the defence ministry said that Finland is preparing to send its 20th military aid package to Ukraine since the attack, bringing the total value to some 1.5 billion euros.
Polling firm Taloustutkimus surveyed just over 2,000 adult residents of mainland Finland in late September. It estimates the margin of error at 2-3 percentage points.
Eva describes itself as a non-profit, pro-market think tank. It is funded by the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK) and other major employers’ groups and chaired by former SPP defence minister Carl Haglund.
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