Czechs show strong support for helping Ukraine – up to a point

Most Czechs, Poles, Slovaks, Hungarians and Bulgarians would accept refugees fleeing from Ukraine, according to a STEM/MARK survey done in cooperation with European National Panel. But Czechs were the least willing to let the refugees live in their family homes.

Poles showed the most willingness to accept refugees in their families, while Hungarians were least willing. Almost 80 percent of Poles agreed to accept Ukrainian refugees into their country or region, and just over a third would invite them into their family.

In the Czech Republic, 61 percent are willing to accept refugees into the country, which was the second-highest proportion out of the countries surveyed, but only 12 percent would accept them into their family home, which was the lowest of any country.

The situation in Ukraine is a cause of worry for most Poles, at 76 percent, and Czechs, at 72 percent. People in the Czech Republic are more worried about the situation in Ukraine than Slovaks or Hungarians, who share a common border with Ukraine. On the other hand, Czechs feel the safest, which may be due to the distance that separates the countries.

Hungary represents a special situation, according to the pollsters. Although almost 45 percent of citizens say that the situation does not affect them or that they do not monitor it, at the same time Hungarians feel the least safe of all the countries in the poll, and also trust Russia the least.

STEM/MARK director Jan Tuček highlighted in a press release that the situation is "even more paradoxical" given Hungary's stance regarding the war in Ukraine since its outbreak, which is at odds with the rest of the EU. Last week, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that EU's sanctions against Russia were "a step towards war." "Anyone who intervenes economically in a military conflict is taking a position," Orban said, as cited by AFP.

Czechs, Slovaks, and Bulgarians more or less agree that the most useful support from citizens is material, financial, and personal assistance to individuals. In addition, Poles strongly agreed to boycotting products from Russia. In Hungary, on the other hand, over 42 percent of citizens were not at all interested in aid for Ukraine.

Poles, at 42 percent, are the most willing to supply weapons or ammunition. Czechs were second at 24 percent, and Hungarians were last at 7 percent.

The last area investigated was Ukraine's integration into international communities. Some 56 percent of Poles clearly stand behind Ukraine and express clear support for admission to both the EU and NATO. In other states, support ranged between 18 percent and 25 percent, with Czechs at 23 percent.

As far as solidarity with Ukraine is concerned, Poland is the clear leader. The Czech Republic is in second place in most areas. Slovakia and Bulgaria are ahead of Czechia in their willingness to invite Ukrainian refugees into the family and to integrate them into society.

Some 7.7 million people have fled from Ukraine since the Feb. 24 start of the Russian aggression, according to the UNHCR data. Out of the refugees, 4.2 million have gained temporary protection in other European countries. The UN said that the exodus of Ukrainians is the steepest-rising refugee crisis in Europe since the end of World War II.

The STEM/MARK agency's research was conducted through online surveys within the framework of the European National Panels, which brings together more than 150,000 respondents from the five countries in question. Over 2,300 people aged 18 and over took part in it.