A survey of Russian speakers living in Finland found more than ten percent of respondents saying they support Russia's war in Ukraine.
The Cultura Foundation's survey found 13 percent of respondents saying they think Russia's military actions in Ukraine were justified. In a similar survey in 2022, the proportion having such sentiments was 18 percent.
This year's survey is a continuation of the previous poll, but it included new questions about people's trust in the media, according to the foundation's director, Sani Kontula-Webb.
"New questions were included, especially about media use and media trust, because a survey carried out two years ago showed that Russian-speakers' trust in Finnish media is significantly weaker compared to the entire population," Kontula-Webb explained in a press release.
The survey found more people refusing to take part in the new survey. More than 700 people turned down the offer to participate, which amounts to a non-response rate of 41 percent. In the 2022 survey, the non-response rate was 23 percent.
"The increase in the refusal rate may reflect a broader societal shift, where Russian speakers are becoming increasingly cautious about participating in studies, especially in situations where their responses could be interpreted politically," a survey summary said.
The survey also found that Russian speakers generally felt less included in Finnish society, compared with the previous poll.
Around 100,000 Russian speakers live in Finland.
Trust and the media
On the other hand, it said that trust in certain things, like the police and justice system had only marginally declined.
"However, the experience of trust is generally lower among Russian speakers than in the entire population, particularly concerning Nato, the media, and healthcare," the foundation explained.
It added that determining whether the trust of Russian-speaking individuals in the country was declining, consistently low or varying would require more frequent measurement.
The survey found respondents had a relatively low level of trust for the Finnish media.
"Respondents who trust the media are, in other words, more likely to have a positive attitude toward Finland's actions and Western values," the summary said.
"However, the media is not seen as an entity intentionally behind misleading influence; rather, it is perceived more as a tool used by external operators, such as NATO or states, to influence opinions, rather than an independent and autonomous operator," the summary continued.
The survey found some degree of distrust among the Russian speakers towards both the Finnish and Russian states. Additionally, it found some respondents not trusting "any entity at all."
Support for invasion declines
Two-thirds of the respondents said they do not think Russia's military actions in Ukraine are justified. Compared to the previous survey, the proportion of respondents defending Russia's actions decreased.
"Instead, the number of 'I don’t know' responses has increased, indicating that opinions have become more uncertain," the summary explained.
"Overall, it seems that many Russian speakers find the situation complex, do not want to intervene, or do not feel capable of assessing the situation."
The new survey found Russian speakers more likely to have experienced discrimination in Finland, a situation prompted by Russia's war in Ukraine.
"Experiences of discrimination appear to be related to anti-Russian politics and perceptions in two ways: on one hand, some feel that they have been labelled based on the actions of the Russian government, which has increased their sense of alienation," the foundation said.
The survey found respondents saying they were frustrated about the "asymmetric treatment of Ukrainian refugees, which has raised feelings of dissatisfaction".
Polling firm Innolink carried out the survey for the Cultura Foundation, and the results are based on the answers from 1,000 respondents. The 2022 survey results were based on 1,632 respondents. The telephone survey was carried out from April to June 2024.
