Ukrainians Oppose NATO Membership

A poll conducted by the All-Ukrainian Social Service between February 27 and March 8 found only 11.1% of respondents supported the government's desire to join NATO. Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has previously said that a decision on NATO membership would only be determined after a nationwide referendum. Only 11.5% of those polled support the idea of holding a referendum on the issue, and almost 36% of respondents indicated they would vote against the plan if a referendum is held.

In January 2008, pro-Western President Viktor Yushchenko, Parliament Speaker Arseniy Yatsenyuk, and Tymoshenko sent a letter to NATO's Secretary General Jaap de Hoop requesting Ukraine join the alliance's Membership Action Plan. Outraged that this moved occurred without a referendum, members of the opposition Party of Regions and the Communist Party immediately blocked the work of Parliament for over a month in protest. The Verkhovna Rada was finally back in session on March 6.

2,500 people responded to the poll, whose statistical margin of error was 2.5%.