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What is driving Europe’s pro-Russian supporters and their stance on the Russo-Ukrainian conflict?

The Conversation · 🇦🇺 public Australia · · 613 words · By Filip Kostelka
Partisan Alignment European Public Opinion on Ukraine Disinformation and Political Influence
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What to know about Partisan Alignment

The authors present findings from a study of nearly 30,000 Europeans to determine why some individuals hold pro-Russian views regarding the invasion of Ukraine. The analysis identifies partisan alignment and vulnerability to disinformation as the primary drivers, while finding that economic interests have little effect.

Propaganda risk 30%
Claims checked 10
Techniques found 2
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center100%
Right0%

2 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 sparked the most significant military conflict in Europe’s post-Second World War history.

Why it matters

While European public opinion is overwhelmingly pro-Ukrainian, significant segments of Europe’s population hold ambivalent or even outright pro-Russian positions.

Common ground

As public support is key to providing military and financial assistance to Ukraine, we wanted to understand why some Europeans are sympathetic to the aggressor.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Oversimplification: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

The authors present findings from a study of nearly 30,000 Europeans to determine why some individuals hold pro-Russian views regarding the invasion of Ukraine. The analysis identifies partisan alignment and vulnerability to disinformation as the primary drivers, while finding that economic interests have little effect.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://theconversation.com/what-is-driving-europes-pro-russian-supporters-and-t…

analyticsAnalysis

30%
Propaganda Score
confidence: 90%
Minor concerns. Some persuasive language detected, but largely factual.

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Oversimplification 60% confidence
Reducing a complex issue to a simplistic framing that distorts understanding.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing oversimplification helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 10 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 7
help Insufficient Evidence 2
verified Verified By Reference 1
info
Claim 1: “support for a Russian victory is virtually absent in Poland, but approaches 20% in Slovakia.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific statistics (virtually absent in Poland, 20% in Slovakia) are found only in the specific article titled 'What is driving Europe’s pro-Russian supporters...'. Other sources discuss general sentiment but do not provide these specific figures.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 Druzhba pipeline dispute was a major diplomatic and energy crisis between Hungary, Slovakia and Ukraine that escalated in February 2026. It occurred precisely one year after the 2025 Slovak–U…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Druzhba_pipeline_dispute
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On 24 February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the existing war between the two countries that began when Ru…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russo-Ukrainian_war_(2022–pres…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the north; Poland and Slova…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukraine
+ 3 more evidence sources
help
Claim 2: “In Slovakia, Prime Minister Robert Fico has echoed pro-Russian narratives himself.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results or Wikipedia entries regarding Robert Fico echoing pro-Russian narratives.
info
Claim 3: “The closer a party’s ties, as assessed by academic experts from the CHES project, the more likely its supporters are to favour Russia over Ukraine.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim refers to a specific methodology using the CHES project to link party ties to supporter views. This is only mentioned in the source article; other search results for 'supporter' are generic dictionary definitions.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The casualties in the Russo-Ukrainian war include six deaths during the 2014 annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, 14,200–14,400 military and civilian deaths during the war in Donbas, and be…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casualties_of_the_Russo-Ukrain…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Euromaidan (; Ukrainian: Євромайдан, romanised: Yevromaidan, IPA: [ˌjɛu̯romɐjˈdɑn], lit. 'Euro Square'), or the Maidan Uprising, was a wave of demonstrations and civil unrest in Ukraine, which began o…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euromaidan
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The International Legion for the Defence of Ukraine, or the Ukrainian Foreign Legion, is a military unit of the Ukrainian Ground Forces composed of foreign volunteers. It was created on 27 February 20…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Legion_(Ukraine)
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 4: “Respondents who favour strong leaders and question minority rights are more likely to sympathise with the Kremlin.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific link between favoring strong leaders/questioning minority rights and sympathizing with the Kremlin is explicitly stated in the article 'What is driving Europe’s pro-Russian supporters...'. While another study mentions right-wing ideology and emotional intelligence, it does not specifically link it to the Kremlin.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Respondents who favour strong leaders and question minority rights are more likely to sympathise with the Kremlin. By contrast, economic interests exert little to no effect. Despite fears among analys…
https://theconversation.com/what-is-driving-europes-pro-russ…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — “The results of this study were univocal. People who endorse authority and strong leaders and who do not mind inequality — the two basic dimensions underlying right-wing political ideology — show lowe…
https://www.psypost.org/people-with-lower-emotional-intellig…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — http://www.ted.com Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg looks at why a smaller percentage of women than men reach the top of their professions -- and offers 3 powerf...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18uDutylDa4
info
Claim 5: “those who report having suffered during the energy crisis are not more likely to support the Kremlin.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The finding that energy crisis suffering does not increase Kremlin support is a specific result from the study in the article 'What is driving Europe’s pro-Russian supporters...'. No other sources provide this data.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — As a child care provider, you may need to file a report of suspected child abuse or neglect with the Department of Children and Families (DCF). Learn more about mandated reporting requirements for EEC…
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/reporting-alleged-child-ab…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — REPORTING meaning: 1. the act by a company of giving an official report, for example about its accounts or activities…. Learn more.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/repor…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Reporting describes the means and measures used to collect, process, store and present information within an organisation.
https://www.portalsystems.de/en/wiki/reporting/
info
Claim 6: “those who mainly consume political news from social media and messaging applications and subscribe to the view that the Covid-19 pandemic was orchestrated by national governments, are 40% less likely to wish for Ukraine’s victory compared to those who consume traditional media and do not believe in conspiracy theories.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific 40% figure and the correlation between Covid-19 conspiracy beliefs and lack of support for Ukraine are not found in any other independent source provided. The search results discuss social media and Covid-19 generally but not this specific statistic.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — More about this project This project was designed to understand how people's experiences and views differ across social media sites and apps. The survey covered four social media platforms: TikTok, X …
https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2024/06/12/how-american…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — In today's high-choice media environment, the relations between news consumption and (extreme) political views receive extensive attention. While social media and news aggregators are often blamed for…
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s44202-024-00315-2
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — During the recent COVID-19 pandemic, people have, in many cases, acquired information primarily from social media. Users' need to stay informed and the intensive circulation of news has led to the spr…
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8701362/
info
Claim 7: “the strongest predictor of Europeans’ position on the war in Ukraine is the proximity of respondents’ preferred political party to the Kremlin.”
SINGLE SOURCE
This conclusion regarding the 'strongest predictor' is a specific finding of the study mentioned in the article 'What is driving Europe’s pro-Russian supporters...'. No other independent academic or news source corroborates this specific statistical finding.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 United States–Ukraine–Russia meetings in Geneva were the third round of trilateral talks between delegations from the United States, Ukraine, and Russia. The meetings took place in Geneva on …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States–Ukraine–Rus…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On 3 May 2023, amidst the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war, two explosive drones allegedly targeted the Kremlin in Moscow and were shot down. President Vladimir Putin was not present in the building at the…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kremlin_drone_attack
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — SouthFront (sometimes written South Front) is a multilingual website registered in Russia and based in Crimea. It has been accused of being an outlet for disinformation and propaganda under the contr…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SouthFront
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
Claim 8: “Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 sparked the most significant military conflict in Europe’s post-Second World War history.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Multiple Wikipedia entries and Britannica explicitly state that the February 2022 invasion is the largest/most significant military conflict in Europe since World War II.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On 24 February 2022, during the Russo-Ukrainian war, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, starting the current phase of the war, the largest conflict in Europe since World War II. By Apri…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_Russian_invasion_of_Ukrai…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On 24 February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the existing war between the two countries that began when Ru…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russo-Ukrainian_war_(2022–pres…
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — This timeline of the Russo-Ukrainian war covers the period from 24 February 2022, when Russia launched a military invasion of Ukraine, to 7 April 2022, when fighting focused away from the north and to…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_2022_Russian_i…
+ 3 more evidence sources
help
Claim 9: “the current Andrej Babiš’s cabinet in the Czech Republic has renounced any anti-disinformation measures.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results or Wikipedia entries regarding Andrej Babiš's cabinet renouncing anti-disinformation measures.
info
Claim 10: “We analysed data from two academic surveys from late 2023, spanning nearly 30,000 respondents and eighteen European countries.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific details of this study (30,000 respondents, 18 countries, late 2023) appear only in the source article's context (referenced in the web search for claim 2, 3, and 6). Other search results are generic and do not corroborate the study's existence.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 3rd European Games (Polish: III Igrzyska Europejskie, Igrzyska Europejskie 2023), also known as the 2023 European Games or Kraków-Małopolska 2023, was an international multi-sport event held from …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_European_Games
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2023–24 Women's EHF European League group stage was played between 6 January and 18 February 2024 to determine the eight teams advancing to the knockout stage of the 2023–24 Women's EHF European L…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023–24_Women's_EHF_European_L…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The UEFA Champions League (UCL or UEFA CL), commonly known as the Champions League, is an annual club association football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_Champions_League
+ 3 more evidence sources
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.