Ipsos Survey: 90% of Hungarians Say Hungary Should Avoid Military Involvement in War

Some 90% of Hungarians, the highest ratio found by the survey, say that their country should avoid military involvment in the war in Ukraine. The opinion that “the problems of Ukraine are none of our business and we should not interfere” also prevails in Hungary, according to an Ipsos’ survey made across 27 countries between March 25 and April 3.

The poll interviewed some 19,000 adults, however, it did not survey Romania and Slovakia, both neighboring countries with Ukraine (and with Hungary too).

The survey’s most interesting and relevant findings are:

• 90% of Hungarians, the highest ratio, say that their country should avoid getting involved militarily (compared to 72% of the global average).
• Globally, some (36%) support their country providing weapons to the Ukrainian military, while only 15% think so in Hungary.
• 68% of Hungarians think it poses a significant risk to their country, while 61% think so globally.
• However, globally, 36% say it poses at least a fair amount of risk to them personally, while 38% of Hungarians think so (Poland scored 50% in this matter).
• In Hungary, the opinion that “the problems of Ukraine are none of our business and we should not interfere” prevails. It is also shared by a number of other countries across the world (Israel) but not in Europe: between 65% and 80% in all eight other EU member countries surveyed (except for Hungary) and the Great Britain too, disagree.
• While only about half (53% in Hungary agree that their country should support sovereign countries when attacked, more than 80% do in Poland, Sweden, and Great Britain.
• 68% globally think that military action in Ukraine will encourage attacks on other countries, while 47% of Hungarians agree with that statement.
• 68% agree that doing nothing in Ukraine will encourage Russia to take further military action elsewhere, while only 47% of Hungarians think so.
• Less than half of Hungarians believe that inaction in Ukraine will encourage Russia to attack other countries vs. more than 75%  believe so in Great Britain, Japan, the U.S., and Poland.
• Three quarters (74%) agree globally that their country should take in Ukrainian refugees; in Hungary it is 75%.
• 50% in Hungary agree that “the economic sanctions placed on Russia by many countries are an effective tactic to help stop the war,” while two-thirds agree globally.
• Support for putting in place additional sanctions against Russia averages at 48% globally. Again, majority support is found in all EU countries surveyed, in contrast to Hungary where the majority (68%) disagrees with that.

featured image illustration via MTI/AP/Efrem Lukackij