Potential election in Ukraine: Zelenskyy would reach second round but lose to former commander-in-chief or defence intelligence head

If presidential elections were held in the near future and featured General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine's current ambassador to the United Kingdom, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, both would advance to the second round.

Source: a survey conducted by SOCIS between 12 and 18 December 2025

Details: In the first round, Zaluzhnyi and Zelenskyy would receive 22% and 21% of the vote respectively. Meanwhile, the share of respondents who found it difficult to decide whom they would vote for increased to 24.1%, up from 21.1% in October.

In the second round, Zaluzhnyi would retain a clear advantage, with 64% compared to Zelenskyy's 36%. If Zaluzhnyi did not take part in the presidential race, the second round would likely feature Zelenskyy and Kyrylo Budanov, head of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine. In that scenario, Budanov would win with 56% against Zelenskyy's 44%.

For reference: The survey polled 2,000 respondents using a quota-stratified sample. The research method was face-to-face interviews using tablets (CAPI). The statistical margin of error (confidence interval) is ±2.6%.

The study was conducted by SOCIS as part of its long-running Barometer public opinion monitoring project, which the company has been carrying out regularly for the past ten years.

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