Level of people's trust in Zelenskyy decreases – survey

Since May, trust in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has dropped by 11 percentage points – as of early June, 65% of respondents said they trusted the head of state, while 30% did not.

Source: a poll conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) between 15 May and 3 June

Details: It was noted that 65% of Ukrainians trusted Zelenskyy, while 30% did not. The resulting trust–distrust balance is +35%.

This is the lowest level of trust recorded since March 2025. However, it remains higher than in February, when only 57% of respondents expressed trust in the president.

Sociologists noted that they did not have data on the specific reasons for this relatively rapid decline in trust. Meanwhile, KIIS emphasised the importance of considering several contextual factors when interpreting the dynamics of presidential trust. These include the lack of visible progress in ending the war, the weakening of the "unity around the flag" effect (which saw a sharp rise in trust in spring, following tensions with the new US administration in February 2025) and the country’s internal situation.

Another short-term factor was the mineral resources agreement: immediately after its signing in early May, sociologists recorded a spike in presidential trust to 74%.

KIIS also pointed to the structure of the survey and the order in which politicians’ names were read out as influencing results. The president was one of ten political figures included, and respondents heard the names in different orders. The later Zelenskyy’s name was mentioned, the higher the level of trust recorded.

Trust in the president is highest in Ukraine’s west (73%) and lowest in the south and east (61%).

Among those who trust Zelenskyy, 55% are categorically opposed to any territorial concessions, while 36% are generally willing to accept them. Among those who do not trust him, 43% are firmly against concessions, while 46% are ready to give up territory.

For reference: The poll was conducted from 15 May to 3 June using computer-assisted telephone interviews based on a random sample of mobile phone numbers. A total of 1,011 adult respondents (aged 18+) residing in government-controlled areas of Ukraine at the time of the survey were interviewed. Residents of temporarily occupied territories were not included in the sample, though some respondents were internally displaced persons (IDPs) who had relocated from such areas. Citizens who left the country after 24 February 2022 were also excluded.

Under normal conditions, the statistical margin of error for this sample (with a confidence level of 95% and a design effect of 1.3) does not exceed 4.1% for indicators close to 50%, 3.5% for indicators around 25%, 2.5% for indicators near 10%, and 1.8% for figures close to 5%.

KIIS adds that, in wartime, in addition to this formal margin of error, there may be some systematic bias. Nevertheless, the results are still considered highly representative and reliable for analysing public opinion in Ukraine.

Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!