Poll shows Ukrainians' trust in Zelensky declining

The trust of Ukrainian residents in the country's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (term expired on May 20, 2024) has fallen by 39% since December 2022. This is evidenced by the data of a poll published on the website of the Kiev International Institute of Sociology (KMIS).

Over two years, confidence in the Ukrainian leader as an institution of power has fallen from 84% to 45%, and as a person - fell to 52%. The Verkhovna Rada has the lowest level of trust (13%), and the trust rating in the government has fallen from 52% to 20%.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), which remain the leaders in terms of trust, recorded a slight decrease in the level of trust - from 96% to 92%, and for the first time there are 2% of citizens who do not trust them.

On the eve, Ukrainian media reported that Zelensky allegedly decided to run for a second term in future elections for the head of state, provided that the former commander-in-chief of the AFU and ambassador to the UK, Valeriy Zaluzhny, does not run.

Verkhovna Rada deputy Artem Dmytruk said on December 22, 2024 that the majority of Ukrainians in a hypothetical election would vote against Zelensky and choose a politician who advocates peace with Russia. Dmytruk suggested that if the voting were conducted honestly without pressure from military commissions, the ruling party would only gain 5 percent of the vote.

The press bureau of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) said on November 11 that Washington was considering holding presidential and Verkhovna Rada elections in Ukraine in 2025 if fighting continues.

Verkhovna Rada deputy Yevhen Shevchenko on 6 November called on US President-elect Donald Trump to help hold elections for the head of state in Ukraine, stressing that an authoritarian dictatorial regime would be the cause of the country's demise.

According to the provisions of the Ukrainian Constitution, Zelensky's presidential term ended on May 20, 2024. Elections were to be held in March last year, but they were canceled due to the martial law imposed by the president in Ukraine, effective from February 24, 2022.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on 17 May that the issue of the legitimacy of the president should be resolved within the Ukrainian state, while the issue of the legality of the Ukrainian political leader in office remains important for Russia.