Summary
Support for Ukraine among the Swedish people is very strong; to put pressure on Russia, a clear majority of Swedes are willing for Europe to stop buying Russian gas, even if it means higher electricity prices. People do not believe that Ukraine should agree to Russia’s demands, and if Russia is allowed to retain territories in Ukraine, it will significantly increase the security risk for other countries in Europe—most notably in the Baltic states and Poland, where over 70% of Swedes believe the threat is increasing, but 47% also believe the threat to Sweden is growing. Support for Ukraine and anger toward Russia are actually so strong that 58% agree fully or partially with the statement that NATO should send troops to Ukraine.
Novus has long been studying the security situation in Sweden and Europe, as well as the Swedish public’s views on the war in Ukraine. Here is a brief update on some of the issues that we at Globeknot believe are particularly relevant now, as the U.S. appears to be pushing for a peace agreement.
In September 2025, Novus surveyed public opinion on whether Russia should be allowed to retain territories in Ukraine and whether this would pose a greater or lesser risk to other countries in Europe
It is clear that the Swedish public perceives an increased threat, particularly to the European countries closest to Russia—such as the Baltic states and Finland—as well as Ukraine’s neighbor Poland; however, most Swedes also believe that the threat to Europe as a whole and to Sweden is growing. Virtually no one believes that the threat is diminishing.
If the peace plan proposed by the U.S. was actually drafted by Russia and leaked to the media at their behest, this means that the Swedish people do not support it. We also know from previous surveys that people want Ukraine to be an active participant in the peace negotiations regarding the war in their own country. In September, one in four Swedes wanted Ukraine to ignore the negotiations and fight until the country is retaken. Even though a clear majority believes that peace would be best. But most Swedes likely realize that if Russia doesn’t want peace, it will be difficult to achieve.
Although this survey was conducted a few months ago, I see no reason to believe that public opinion in Sweden has changed significantly; views on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, as well as its verbal threats against Sweden and the incursions of drones into Poland, Denmark, and other countries, have not diminished the Swedish people’s support for Ukraine.
One in five Swedes strongly agrees with the statement that NATO should send troops to support Ukraine, and 58% agree with the statement either strongly or somewhat. Although this is a difficult issue, it represents yet another clear show of support for Ukraine’s right to defend itself against Russia’s invasion of its territory.
Several European countries continue to buy Russian gas; although electricity prices are a key concern for the Swedish people, these results show that the desire to support Ukraine and punish Russia for its aggression is stronger. So if the reason for high electricity prices had been to stop funding Russia’s ability to finance the war, there would have been strong support for that. In contrast, if the reason for rising electricity prices is congestion charges in our own power grid, public understanding is much lower.
About the “
” survey: The survey was conducted by Novus on its own initiative from September 11–17, 2025, using the Novus Sweden Panel. A total of 1,002 people responded, and the results are representative of the Swedish population aged 18–84.
For further information about the Novus Sweden Panel, see https://novus.se/om-novus/vanliga-fragor/. If you are unsure how to interpret a figure, please contact info@novus.se.
Torbjörn Sjöström, Globeknot
Globeknot is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to highlight where the Swedish public stands on many important social issues, thereby helping the media and those in power to understand the citizens. But also so that citizens can see that they are not as alone in their views as it might easily appear, given the focus on the most extreme opinions in the public sphere.
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