People pass a billboard showing a Russian soldier in St. Petersburg. Photo: EPA-EFE/ANATOLY MALTSEV

Over half of Russians who support Vladimir Putin are open to peace negotiations with Ukraine according to a survey, independent Russian news outlet Meduza reported on Tuesday.

Independent research project Chronicles surveyed a random sample of 800 Russians in September and found that 61% of those who supported Putin were in favour of peace negotiations with mutual concessions and 43% were in favour of restoring relations with the West.

Survey respondents who supported Putin overwhelmingly reported wanting the Kremlin to focus on domestic policy, with 83% stating it should shift its focus to “domestic social and economic issues”, the survey found.

Continued mobilisation proved to be unpopular with Putin’s supporters, with only a quarter of respondents stating that they would like more men to be mobilised for the war in Ukraine.

Those figures were much higher among anti-Putin Russians, according to Chronicles, with 79% in favour of a peace treaty with Ukraine and 90% wanting to restore relations with the West.

However, Putin continues to enjoy popularity among Russians, with the survey revealing 78% support.

In September, Chronicles collaborated with Extreme Scan, a non-profit international association of independent researchers, to reveal that 63% of Russians would support peace negotiations and mutual concessions between Russia and Ukraine in the next year.