MOSCOW, October 8 (RIA Novosti) - Less than half of the population of the United Kingdom, France and Germany think that the European Union should participate in the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis while supporting humanitarian aid deliveries and a peacekeeping mission, with some also suggesting the provision of financial aid for the Kiev government, an ICM poll commissioned by news agency Rossiya Segodnya revealed.
The majority of the British and the French, and half of Germans support the investigation of crimes committed in Ukraine during the crisis. The respondents from all three countries agree that crimes against humanity should be investigated first.
SUPPORTERS AND OPPONENTS OF INVOLVEMENT
According to the survey, 92 percent of Britons are aware of the Ukrainian crisis, the most, compared to 83 percent in France and 78 percent in Germany. Generally, it is senior Europeans that have more information about the situation. In the United Kingdom, 96 percent of those older than 65 are aware of the crisis, as opposed to 85 percent in the 25-34 age group. In Germany, 88 percent of those over 65 know about the crisis, while 61 percent of 25-34 year-olds are unaware. In France, the figures for the same age groups stand at 93 and 67 percent respectively.
The idea of EU member states' involvement in the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis appeals to 46 percent of the respondents in the three countries, with 44 percent supporting non-involvement. The United Kingdom has 40 percent against the idea, while France has 35 percent and Germany has 58 percent.
The British are those who are most in favor of the European Union participating in the situation in Ukraine, with 54 percent of respondents showing support, while the numbers for France and Germany stand at 48 percent and 36 percent respectively.
It is mainly young people between 18 and 34 that support the European Union"s involvement, with 62 percent of Britons and 55 percent of the French and Germans. Overall, men were more supportive of involvement than women.
HUMANITARIAN AID
The majority of the British, German and French respondents believe that the European Union should send humanitarian aid to Ukraine. About 76 percent of all them are in favor of the aid, with 85 percent in the United Kingdom, 86 percent in Germany and 57 percent in France supporting it.
The humanitarian mission has found the support of 51 percent of the Europeans. Financial assistance to the Ukrainian government appealed only to 26 percent of the surveyed. Germany has 41 percent of its population supporting such a measure, while the United Kingdom has 30 percent and France, 8 percent in support.
Only 13 percent of those polled think it necessary to deliver military equipment and weapons to Ukraine. In the United Kingdom, 22 percent spoke in favor of such deliveries, while in France the figure stood at just 7 percent.
The majority of the Europeans, or 68 percent, think that EU member states should act jointly if the decide to take part in the settlement of the crisis in Ukraine. France has 73 percent supporting joint efforts, while the United Kingdom has 65 percent and Germany has 67 percent.
INVESTIGATION OF CRIMES
The majority of Britons, or 76 percent, think that the European Union should investigate crimes committed during the Ukrainian crisis, with 68 percent of the French and 54 percent of the Germans supporting the idea.
Those aged from 34 to 54 are mostly in favor of the investigation, while those over 65 oppose such actions.
Among all those in favor of conducting investigations, 89 percent think that crimes against humanity should be looked into first. The United Kingdom is almost unanimous on the issue with 99 percent in favor, while 94 percent in Germany and 74 percent in France share the same opinion. The abduction and murder of journalists comes as the second-most outrageous crime that requires investigation, with 95 percent of Britons, 90 percent of Germans and 60 percent of the French speaking in favor of an inquiry, averaging 82 percent across all three states.
An average of 79 percent of respondents think that the Malaysia Airlines aircraft crash should also be investigated. On this matter, the United Kingdom has 92 percent supporting the investigation, with Germany having 89 percent and France having 57 percent. Respondents in the United Kingdom and Germany mentioned all three issues, while the French usually spoke only of two.
ICM polled 3,006 randomly selected people from September 17 to 28 in the United Kingdom, France and Germany. ICM abides by the rules of the British Polling Council, of which it is a member.
Ukraine has been engulfed in a violent internal conflict since mid-April, when the Ukrainian government launched a military operation against independence supporters in the southeastern regions of the country. According to UN estimates, more than 3,500 people have been killed in the conflict, with almost 8,200 injured.
