Three-quarters of Ukrainians reject major concessions in any peace deal, according to a polling institute, reflecting the challenge facing President Volodymyr Zelensky as he negotiates under pressure from the White House to end the war in Russia.

Ukraine has sought to rebuff the initial, US-backed plan that it and its European allies see as favorable to Moscow, which calls for Kiev to cede the entire eastern Donbass region and significantly limit its military capabilities.

According to the poll, by the Kiev International Institute of Sociology (KIIS), 72% of Ukrainians are ready for an agreement that would ‘freeze’ the current front line and include some compromises.

However, 75% of respondents believe that a Russia-friendly plan that includes Ukraine ceding territory or restrictions on the size of its military without clear security guarantees is “totally unacceptable”. The survey was conducted from late November to mid-December, involving 547 respondents in Ukrainian-controlled territories.

KIIS chief executive Anton Khrusetsky said public opinion on the issue had remained stable in recent months amid increasing pressure from the US.

63% of Ukrainians are ready to continue fighting, and just 9% believe the war will end by early 2026.

U.S. President Donald Trump is pushing Ukraine to quickly secure peace in the nearly four-year war, while the larger and better-equipped Russian army is slowly advancing on the battlefield.

Kiev and its European allies are seeking security guarantees from Washington as part of any deal, with Zelensky saying yesterday that in return Ukraine would give up its NATO ambitions.

However, just 21% of Ukrainians trust Washington – down from 41% last December. Trust in NATO also fell to 34% from 43% in the same period.

“If security guarantees are not clear and binding … Ukrainians will not trust them and this will affect the general readiness to approve the relevant peace framework,” Khrushchev wrote.

Trump also reiterated his call for elections in Ukraine, which is prohibited under martial law.

Zelensky, whose first term expired last year, hinted this month that he would be open to new elections if the U.S. takes a leading role in guaranteeing security.

However, only 9 percent of Ukrainians want elections before hostilities end, according to the KIIS poll.

Confidence in Zelensky probably fell after a corruption scandal last month, but is now back to 61% after the ouster of his key adviser and new U.S. pressure, Khrushchev said.

“So, the insistence on elections in Ukraine is perceived by the public as an attempt to weaken the country,” he said.