A recent poll found that 49 percent of people would back withdrawing without achieving the Kremlin's military objectives.

A close ally of President Vladimir Putin warned Western governments on Thursday that a nuclear war would ensue if they gave the green light for Ukraine to use long-range Western weapons to strike targets deep inside Russia.

Kremlin warns of nuclear war if the European Union backs Ukraine’s use of long-range weapons on Russian soil, escalating tensions to Cold War levels.