According to a survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, 55% of Ukrainians surveyed trust Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whilst 40% expressed a lack of trust in him. The balance between trust and distrust stands at +15 percentage points, with a further 5% of respondents undecided. At the same time, 57% of those surveyed believe that elections should only be held after a final peace agreement has been reached and the war has ended.
Briefly about the main points
- The president’s approval rating stands at +15 percentage points.
- Since April, confidence has fallen by three points.
- The May figure cannot be directly compared due to the different format of the question.
- 57% support the holding of elections only once the war has come to a complete end.
- The survey covered 974 adult residents of the government-controlled territory.
Year-on-year decline since April
KIIS compares the new figures with the April survey, in which a similar question was asked. At that time, 58% respondents trusted the president, 36% did not, and the balance stood at +22 percentage points.
Consequently, the proportion of those who trust Zelenskyy has fallen by three percentage points, whilst the proportion of those who do not trust him has risen by four. Pollsters describe the change as significant, but see no grounds for speaking of a collapse in trust.
In May, KMIS recorded a trust rating of 61%; however, it is not appropriate to compare this result directly with the current one. At that time, participants were reminded of the office of the President and were also asked to rate other public figures, which may have influenced their responses.
The majority want a vote once the war is over
In a separate section of the survey, respondents were asked about their preferred timeframes holding of elections. Only 15% supported the vote in favour of ending hostilities, whilst 23% considered the option of a ceasefire followed by Ukraine receiving reliable security guarantees to be acceptable.
The most common response was that elections should be held after a final peace agreement has been concluded and the war has come to a complete end. This position was chosen by 57% of those surveyed. The Law on the Legal Regime of Martial Law prohibits presidential, parliamentary and local elections whilst it remains in force.
Who was covered by the survey and what does the indicator measure?
The telephone survey took place from 20 July to 3 August 2026. KMIS surveyed 974 Ukrainian citizens aged 18 and over who live in government-controlled territory.
The sample did not include residents of the temporarily occupied territories or Ukrainians who had left the country after 24 February 2022. However, the participants did include internally displaced persons. The formal statistical margin of error for indicators close to 50% does not exceed 4.1%.
KMIS emphasises that the level of trust reflects respondents’ attitudes towards a politician, rather than their electoral rating or willingness to vote for them in an election.
