Brussels Falls Flat: Most Europeans Against Sending Troops, Weapons to Ukraine

While the Brussels elite continues to push for increased arms deliveries and even the deployment of troops to Ukraine, Europe’s citizens are moving in the opposite direction. According to new research by the Szazadveg Institute, 51 percent of EU citizens oppose sending weapons to Ukraine, while 69 percent reject the idea of deploying troops.

Soldier in Russia–Ukraine war (Photo: AFP)

Europe’s political elite is gripped by war fever. With increasingly radical statements, leading figures are steadily pulling the European Union closer to direct involvement in the Russia–Ukraine conflict. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen recently called for accelerating the immediate delivery of weapons and ammunition to Ukraine. She later said that although Europe has already provided nearly €170 billion in military and financial assistance, even more will be required. Meanwhile, Manfred Weber, leader of the European People’s Party (EPP), stated at the end of 2025 that he would like to see German soldiers serving under a European flag deployed to Ukraine, Szazadveg reports.

The majority of Europeans are against sending troops to Ukraine (Source: Szazadveg)

Sending Troops Is a Red Line

European citizens, however, do not share the elite’s pro-war stance. According to the latest Europe Project survey conducted by Szazadveg, 69 percent of the EU’s adult population oppose sending troops to Ukraine. Only about one-quarter of respondents agree with the position taken by political elites.

Sweden is the only EU member state where a relative plurality—47 percent—supports sending troops to Ukraine. In all other countries, opponents of troop deployment dominate, and in every case except Finland, they form an absolute majority.

The most pro-peace member states are Hungary, Bulgaria, and Slovenia, where opposition to sending troops stands at 91 percent, 85 percent, and 83 percent, respectively.

 

Growing Opposition to Weapons Deliveries

Opposition to arms shipments is also on the rise. According to the survey, 51 percent of EU citizens oppose sending weapons to Ukraine, while 43 percent support it. These results are striking given that several member states have been supplying weapons to Ukraine for some time, often regardless of public opinion. In many of these countries, political elites have launched communication campaigns aimed at persuading citizens that their policies are justified.

Public sentiment, however, has moved in the opposite direction. In 2023, a narrow majority of EU citizens—51 percent—supported sending weapons to Ukraine. Since then, support has steadily declined, and by 2025 the proportions had flipped.

Opponents of weapons deliveries form an absolute majority in 14 member states and a relative majority in five others. The strongest opposition is found in Cyprus (79 percent), Hungary (75 percent), and Greece (73 percent). By contrast, supporters of arms shipments hold an absolute majority in nine member states and a relative majority in two, with the highest levels of support in Finland (77 percent), Lithuania (69 percent), and Sweden (59 percent).

Opposition to arms shipments to Ukraine increases (Source: Szazadveg)
 

The latest installment of Szazadveg’s Europe Project research series once again aims to map public attitudes on the most pressing issues facing the continent. This year’s survey places particular emphasis on perceptions of the European Union’s performance, satisfaction with EU governance, potential enlargement, views on the war in Ukraine, as well as energy policy and migration.

Cover photo: Russia–Ukraine war (Photo: AFP)