Worst figures since 2022: Russia records historic drop in trust in Putin
Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin (Getty Images)
Trust in Russian President Vladimir Putin among Russians has dropped to its lowest level since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Interestingly, this is shown even by "official" polls, Bloomberg informs.
Three factors have begun to influence public sentiment in Russia significantly: war fatigue, a slowing economy, and increased tax pressure. A survey conducted by the state-run VTsIOM from March 19 to 22 showed negative trends in Putin’s ratings:
- Level of trust in Putin: fell from 76.7% to 75%.
- Approval of Putin’s performance: dropped by 1.9% to 70.1%.
It is noted that lower levels were only recorded in February 2022. At the same time, Putin’s disapproval ratings are rising: 20.1% of Russians said they do not trust him, and 18.3% said they disapprove of the Russian leader's work.
Considering that people in Russia are afraid to express their true opinions, and that the survey was conducted by a structure controlled by the Russian regime, these are record negative figures for the entire conflict. Analysts believe the numbers could be adjusted, but point to several factors behind this sharp change in sentiment:
- Economic pressure: VAT increases since the beginning of the year and high interest rates aimed at curbing inflation have hit household incomes in Russia.
- War fatigue: An earlier survey by the independent Levada Center showed that 67% of Russians support moving toward peace negotiations.
- Everyday factors: Widespread internet outages and a general sense of stagnation are intensifying public dissatisfaction with the authorities.
"Public fatigue is the reason for the ratings stagnation. At the practical level, everyone is simply surviving," summarized Andrey Kolesnikov, a Moscow-based political analyst.
On March 26, Putin held a closed-door meeting with Russian oligarchs, demanding they "contribute" money to the war. At least two agreed.
Earlier, the Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence Service reported that the Russian economy has entered its deepest crisis in the past 20 years, comparable to the late USSR scenario. Russia’s 2026 budget is already under severe strain, with the first months ending in a massive deficit.
