site.btaMyara Poll: More than Half of Respondents Support Idea of Common EU Defence Industry, Are Open to National Defence Spending

A poll conducted by the Myara polling agency shows that more than half of respondents support the idea of a common European defense and are open to the country allocating funds for it. According to the poll made public Thursday, 59.1% of respondents approve of EU Member States building a common defense industry, while 35.7% disapprove and 5.2% are undecided. The poll also shows that 53.8% of respondents approve of Bulgaria spending money on building a common European defense, 43.9% disapprove, and 2.3% remain neutral.

The data, based on an independent telephone survey conducted by Myara between March 14 and 18, 2025, involved 801 Bulgarian adults.

When it comes to continued aid to Ukraine, the sentiments tend to align more with US President Donald Trump’s stance than with those of European leaders, analysts say. While there is a general consensus among Bulgarians that the war should end and negotiations should take place, the public is in solidarity with the idea of clearer guarantees for Ukraine’s future. Older Bulgarians, in particular, show a leaning in favor of Moscow, Myara adds.

The poll also shows that Bulgarians do not support Trump's claim that Ukraine started the war. While there is significant uncertainty about who actually initiated the conflict, 32.7% of respondents believe Russia started it, 24.9% blame Ukraine, and more than 40% cannot determine. When asked who is most to blame for the war, 24.6% say it is Russia, 39.4% say the West, 8.7% say Ukraine, and 26% say there is no clear answer.

The data also suggests that while 5.7% of respondents believe Ukraine and the West currently have the upper hand in the war, 55% think that Russia and other non-Western powers are prevailing. Nearly 40% could not say.

One key issue in peace talks is the lack of guarantees that Ukraine will not be invaded again. While 26.6% of respondents believe such guarantees exist, 63.9% disagree. Despite finding fault with Western countries, a large majority of Bulgarians agree with the view that the first condition for peace talks should be providing Ukraine with guarantees for its future.

In another question, 63.4% of respondents expressed support for Trump’s position favoring a deal with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to end the war, while 18.8% aligned with the European stance, represented by French President Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, among others, which focuses more on continued support for Ukraine.

Regarding a European defense system, 59.1% of Bulgarians support it in addition to NATO participation, while 35.7% oppose it. The enthusiasm drops slightly when it comes to Bulgaria's participation, with 53.8% in favor and 43.9% opposed. This indicates that Bulgarians see merit in both Trump’s and the European positions, explaining Bulgaria's stance of maintaining unity with both Europe and Trump. The only clear disapproval comes regarding the possible deployment of Bulgarian peacekeeping forces, with 21.6% approving, 76.8% disapproving, and the remainder undecided.