Source: results of the Onukh IBIF project study (Identity and Borders in Change: The Case of Ukraine), funded by the British Academy, conducted from November 2024 to January 2025, which is cited by the Kiev International Institute of Sociology.
Directly from KIIS: "When the Onukh IBIF project team (with funding from the British Academy) recently asked Ukrainians, 'Do you approve or disapprove of the actions of Volodymyr Zelensky as president?', they found that support for President Zelensky has somewhat increased compared to the previous survey: 63% of Ukrainians fully or mostly approve of his activities as president."
Details: Sociologists noted that the approval rating is close to the trust level in Zelensky, but they are not entirely identical, as "one can approve of a person's actions but not trust them."
"Additionally, these indicators (both approval and trust) differ from electoral ratings, where a person must choose from a list whom to vote for. In the case of voting, people apply different assessment criteria, reflecting a different attitude. Currently, many manipulate data and present the level of approval/trust as electoral ratings, which is incorrect," emphasized KIIS.
The Onukh IBIF project team also asked Ukrainians about the qualities that President Zelensky possesses.
74% of respondents said they consider him a patriot of Ukraine, 73% believe he is an intelligent and knowledgeable person, 60% view him as honest and trustworthy, while 65% see him as a strong leader.
Moreover, the Onukh IBIF study revealed that among political figures, Zelensky leads in polls regarding future elections: approximately 26%-32% of citizens said they would vote for him in the first round. Former President Petro Poroshenko from "European Solidarity" would be supported by 5-6%.
Sociologists note that a potential contender in the second round could be former Commander-in-Chief and current Ambassador of Ukraine to the UK Valeriy Zaluzhny, although he has not publicly expressed any political ambitions.
The study was conducted from November 22, 2024, to January 7, 2025. A total of 1,600 respondents aged 18 and older were surveyed using telephone interviews. Residents of temporarily occupied territories and those who left the country after February 24, 2022, were not included in the sample.
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Background:
- On February 19, U.S. President Donald Trump referred to Zelensky as a "dictator without elections" instead of Putin and nearly accused him of starting the war.
- He also claimed that the President of Ukraine allegedly avoids elections because "he has 4% support."
- Senator from Vermont Bernie Sanders stated that the American people are witnessing "a very sad moment in American history," as U.S. President Donald Trump distorts facts, lies about Ukraine and Europe and takes the side of the aggressor, Russian President Vladimir Putin.