A recent poll conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) between February 4 and 9 indicates that 57% of Ukrainians trust President Volodymyr Zelensky, while 37% do not. The trust-distrust balance stands at +20%, marking an improvement from the previous survey in December 2024, which showed 52% trust and 39% distrust, with a balance of +13%.

KIIS highlighted that trust levels in the president remain relatively consistent across different regions of Ukraine, with a generally positive balance of trust and distrust. The institute emphasized that the timing of the poll’s release coincided with ongoing discussions about peace negotiations, the legitimacy of Ukraine’s leadership, and the potential need for elections.

Anton Hrushetskyi, KIIS’s executive director, noted that concerns from international partners regarding Zelensky's legitimacy in conducting peace talks are not shared by Ukrainian citizens. According to the survey, the majority of Ukrainians consider their president and government legitimate enough to engage in complex negotiations, with elections being more appropriate after the war concludes and Ukraine secures reliable security guarantees.

Hrushetskyi also clarified to Ukrainska Pravda that KIIS had initially planned to release the survey results later. However, the institute decided to publish them early after reports emerged about Russian-American talks in Saudi Arabia, as well as claims that Zelensky’s approval rating was as low as 4%. He remarked that the decision to release the data was spontaneous, made on the evening of February 18, following the first reports from the Saudi discussions.

The survey, conducted via random mobile phone sampling, included 1,000 respondents aged 18 and over living in government-controlled territories of Ukraine. The sample did not cover residents in areas under Russian occupation, though it included internally displaced persons from those regions. Ukrainians who left the country after February 24, 2022, were also not included in the poll.

KIIS stated that under normal conditions, the statistical margin of error for this survey does not exceed 4.1% for indicators around 50%, 3.5% for those near 25%, 2.5% for figures close to 10%, and 1.8% for values around 5%. However, the institute acknowledged that wartime conditions introduce additional variables, although the survey remains highly representative of public sentiment.

Meanwhile, former U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking at a press conference in Mar-a-Lago, claimed that Ukraine needs to hold elections because Zelensky allegedly has very low approval ratings. Trump asserted that it was not Russia but the broader situation that necessitated elections, stating that Ukraine has been under martial law and without elections for a prolonged period.

Trump claimed that Zelensky's approval rating was as low as 4% but did not cite a specific source for this figure. He argued that many countries, not just Russia, were questioning Ukraine’s democratic process.

In contrast, KIIS surveys have consistently shown significantly higher approval ratings for Zelensky. Their December 2024 poll found that 52% of Ukrainians trusted the president, while 39% did not, contradicting the figures cited by Trump.

Source: https://www.kiis.com.ua/?lang=eng&cat=reports&id=1496&page=1