KYIV. July 8 (Interfax-Ukraine) - The number of supporters and opponents of Ukraine's membership in NATO in the country is equal.
If a referendum on this issue were held next Sunday, 32% of Ukrainian citizens would support the idea, 32% would oppose it, and 22.1% would be either undecided or would not cast their ballots.
These figures were obtained in an opinion poll held by the Razumkov Center for Economic and Political Studies in all Ukrainian regions from June 17 to 25. The poll involved 2,006 respondents over 18.
Supporters of Ukraine's membership in NATO argue that it will strengthen Ukraine's international prestige (49.4%), broaden Ukraine's cooperation with Europe and the world as a whole (47.7%), give Ukraine economic advantages (24.1%), and lessen Russia's influence (7.2%). Opponents fear that membership in NATO will strengthen Ukraine's dependence on the West (36.5%), and worsen relations with Russia (13.5%).
Ukraine should remain a non-aligned country, 30.3% of the respondents said; Ukraine is not prepared to join NATO, said 25.3% of those polled, and 20.7% of respondents think Ukraine should join the Collective Security Treaty of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
Importantly, the population of western Ukraine would vote differently from the population of eastern and southern Ukraine.
Nearly half of the respondents in western regions (45.4%) would back Ukraine's membership in NATO, and 20.4% would oppose it. In eastern Ukraine, 29.8% of the respondents would support Ukraine's membership in NATO, and 40.6% would oppose it. In southern Ukraine, the voters' moods are about the same: 27.9% are for, and 37.9% are against Ukraine's joining NATO.