New poll shows how Ukrainians' trust in Zelenskyy changes
Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
59% of Ukrainians trust President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, while 35% say they don't, according to the poll findings from the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS).
The KIIS reports that, as of the end of December, the overall level of trust in the President remained largely stable versus several months earlier, in particular, before the appearance of information about corruption in the energy sector.
At the same time, indicators of trust in the President are highly dynamic and context-dependent, particularly depending on which agenda dominates public discourse—internal issues, such as public administration and corruption, or external issues, such as relations with partners and peace negotiations.
Among respondents surveyed in late November, 49% reported trusting Zelenskyy. In the first half of December, the figure rose to 63%, before falling to 55% in the second half of the month.
Graph 1. How much do you trust or distrust Volodymyr Zelenskyy?
* The option “hard to say” was not read to respondents. It was marked only if the respondent requested it
Zelenskyy's rating dynamics
Overall, trust declined by approximately 10 percentage points after information about corruption in the energy sector became public. However, amid international developments and peace negotiations, another wave of public "rallying" followed, leading to renewed growth in support for the President.
By the end of December, the effect of this rally had weakened, and a trend toward a slight decline in trust emerged. At the same time, by the end of 2025, trust in the President remains higher than at the end of 2024, although peak support in 2025 was recorded in early May.
Future outlook
Looking ahead, trust ratings for Zelenskyy are expected to remain volatile and sensitive to current developments, including future personnel decisions.
The structure of trust: among the 59% of those who trust Zelenskyy, 26% "completely" trust him, and 33% "rather" trust him.
Respondents who completely trust the President would like to see him in office after the war ends. By contrast, those who only partially trust him mostly favor the emergence of a new leader—someone from a new generation rather than the current opposition.
Among the 35% of those who do not trust the President, 23% "completely" do not trust him, and 12% "rather" do not trust him. These two groups also differ in their views on specific issues.
Earlier reports indicated that in December, Ukrainians' trust in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rose to 61%, while 32% of respondents reported not trusting him.
