Zelenskyy and Zaluzhnyi top trust rankings in Ukraine, sociologist says

"The top trust ratings in Ukraine belong to Zelenskyy and Zaluzhnyi. Their political forces have the highest polling numbers - both Zaluzhnyi’s hypothetical political force and Zelenskyy’s real one," Antypovych said.

Waves of trust ratings for Zelenskyy

As the sociologist noted, it's still too early to assess the longevity of the current "unity around the flag" effect, during which trust in Zelenskyy significantly increased starting in early 2025.

Antypovych explained that this trust surged dramatically at the start of the war, reaching nearly 90%, but then gradually declined." As a result, it plateaued at various levels, around 50%, around 70%, and then started rising again due to certain events," the Director of the Rating Sociological Group said.

In particular, the highly publicized 2023 counteroffensive greatly boosted public morale, as trust had already started to decline. "And then the counteroffensive began, at least in the media, and trust rose again," the sociologist reported.

"Then it began to fall again - and came the Kursk operation. Again, there was a spike: 'See, we can do it, we struck back…’' Trust rose again, and then started falling," Antypovych said.

According to the Director of the Rating Sociological Group, this pattern follows waves and depends on events. "In December 2024 and January of this year, polls indeed showed about 52-54% trust in Zelenskyy. Then came the Oval Office event. And public perception of the government, including Zelenskyy, improved significantly," the sociologist added.

Antypovych noted that Zelenskyy's trust rating didn't skyrocket overnight, but climbed from 52-54% to 60-67%. "And as we now see in April–May, we have stable figures around 70%. For further growth, of course, we need new circumstances, new conditions, new information - then the rating will rise," said Antypovych.

Therefore, the Director of the Rating Sociological Group emphasized that public perception of Zelenskyy depends on developments at the front, domestic conditions, and the international arena.

Zaluzhnyi's rating

"If we say that Valerii Zaluzhnyi has seen a decline in trust, we're talking about 1-2-3-4-5% - that is, minimal. He remains at the top alongside Zelenskyy. So I do not confirm claims about a drop in his trust level," Antypovych said.

As for electoral ratings, things may change depending on the backdrop and the emergence of competitors in that field, the sociologist noted.

"Zaluzhnyi was perceived positively and still is. He's seen as a father-protector figure - someone who didn't send boys to die, who didn't blow up bridges or let a part of Ukraine be cut off, who defended it, who's a modern military man, not a Soviet-era generalissimo - that sort of thing," Antypovych explained.

According to the expert, Zaluzhnyi is a kind of embodiment of the defender of the state, the defender of all Ukrainians, and this perception is more emotional than rational. And Ukrainians, Antypovych added, are a very emotional nation.

"Why isn't rational perception working at this point? Because there are no elections. Naturally, during an election campaign, when there is a real fight on the electoral field, one will have to answer: what have you done for the country, where have you been in recent years, etc. Then there will be a chance for a pragmatic or rational choice," the sociologist added.

Zaluzhnyi's phenomenon

Antypovych noted that it's hard to compare Zaluzhnyi to anyone.

"There were no analogies in our history. You'd want to find some analogy, but there just isn't one," the sociologist said.

His view is that this man was in the right place at the right time. "A Ukrainian, one could say, even prayed to Zaluzhnyi when the war was unfolding... And he was exactly like ordinary Ukrainians," the Director of the Rating Sociological Group added.

"His interviews bring a tear to the eye. I read them back in 2023. I don't even know if he still gives them - I'm just analyzing his trust rating - and it hasn't changed. Although it was expected, even by me as a sociologist, that after his dismissal some time would pass and he'd be somewhat forgotten. So much is happening… It would be logical. But he hasn't been forgotten. It's as if he's become permanently etched into Ukrainians’ collective memory," Antypovych stated.

According to leading sociological companies in Ukraine, Zelenskyy’s rating has grown significantly since the beginning of 2025, following the arrival of Donald Trump to power and the shift in US policy toward Ukraine.

According to a Rating Group survey, in February Zaluzhnyi's trust rating was higher than Zelenskyy’s.