Two-thirds of Portuguese (67%) believe that NATO countries should continue to provide military aid to Ukraine and about half (49%) believe in the Ukrainians’ victory, according to an Aximage poll for DN, JN and TSF . However, the war will linger over time (45%), or escalate into direct conflict between Russia and NATO (21%). For a minority, it will be even worse: 7% of those polled fear it will end in nuclear war.
When the Portuguese are asked about their expectations of the evolution of the conflict, it is clear that there is a clear majority of those who suspect that the war, which has been going on for seven months, will be a long one. Only a paltry 15% think the outcome will be short, either because an agreement is reached between the two sides (9%) or because Ukraine will cede territory to Russia (6%).
But there are also those with dark prospects for the future. At least two in ten Portuguese think that the evolution will be towards expansion towards a direct conflict between Russia and NATO, especially women (seven percentage points more than in the case of men). And they are also the most pessimistic about the possibility of everything turning into a nuclear war (four percentage points more than men). Overall, a third (33%) of women predict an escalation in the scale and consequences of the war.
military support
Perhaps these predictions help explain the gender differences in the answers to another question: When it comes to continuing NATO military support for Ukraine, they (63%) are slightly less enthusiastic than they (71%). On the contrary, more women (23%) than men (15%) indicate that they do not agree with handing over weapons.
In general, the continuation of Western military support to the Ukrainians is the prevailing sentiment (only 15% of Portuguese disagree). However, some differences are also noted in the other segments into which the sample is divided. In age groups, for example, support grows with age (there is a difference of 15 points between the youngest and the oldest). The percentage who agree to military aid also grows as income rises (there is a 13-point difference between the lowest and the highest social class).
As for the end result, there are clearly more (49%) who believe in Ukraine’s victory over Russia than those who think this result is not possible (21%). But it’s also true that 30% don’t know how to respond. Uncertainty is especially high among women (36%), among the youngest (37%) and among the poorest (39%).
Source: DN
