**Almost Half of Ukrainians Support Joining NATO**
A recent survey found that 47% of Ukrainians support their country joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) even if some territories remain under Russian occupation at the time of accession. This is a 14-percentage-point increase from a similar poll in June.
The survey was conducted by the Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation and the Razumkov Center, and it found that 36% of respondents opposed NATO accession under such conditions. The strongest opposition came from people over 50, those living in eastern, central, and southern regions, and individuals below the poverty line or without ties to occupied territories.
**Ukraine’s Security Architecture**
The poll comes as Ukraine faces limited battlefield success and growing discussions on security arrangements. While 55% of respondents view NATO membership as Ukraine’s best security option, 60% believe it is the only way to prevent future Russian aggression. Other options, such as neutrality with international guarantees or non-alignment, received little support.
**President Zelensky’s Stance**
President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that NATO’s Article 5 might not immediately apply to active conflict zones, signaling a shift in Kyiv’s stance. He also acknowledged that liberating some occupied territories, such as Crimea, might require diplomatic solutions rather than military ones.
**International Developments**
In other news, North Korea appears to be preparing to supply more arms to Russia on top of the 20,000 containers it had already sent. The Czech government has decided to wean itself off Russian energy, while Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico’s pro-Russian energy policy is being criticized by Ukrainian President Zelensky.
**Russian Aggression**
The Russian military attacked Ukraine with 72 Shahed-type drones and other unmanned aerial vehicles overnight on December 23. A large-scale fire broke out at a Shahed drone warehouse in Russia’s Tatarstan, destroying drone parts worth $16 million.
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