Volodymyr Zelenskyy faces declining popularity in Ukraine

Recent polling by the Institute of Sociology in Kyiv indicates a decline in public trust for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy currently holds a 56 percent trust rating, a significant drop from the 90 percent recorded following the 2022 Russian invasion.

On the scale of trusted officials, Zelenskyy now ranks fourth. He trails behind former Army Chief and current Ambassador to the UK Valerii Zaluzhnyi, who is trusted by two-thirds of respondents, and former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who holds a 63 percent trust rating.

While Zelenskyy continues to secure international support and maintains a presence at the front lines, critics have accused his administration of prioritizing loyalty over expertise. This criticism follows a costly Ukrainian counteroffensive in 2023. Meanwhile, thousands of people have been demonstrating in Kyiv and other cities, demanding the reinstatement of Fedorov as Defense Minister.