Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s approval rating rose following a heated dispute with US President Donald Trump, according to a new poll from the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS).
The survey, conducted between 4 February and 4 March 2025, showed Zelenskyy’s trust rating among Ukrainians increased from 57% in early February to 68% by early March.
The poll captured public sentiment during a time when relations between Ukraine and the United States shifted dramatically. Tensions rose after a confrontation between Zelenskyy and Trump at the White House regarding ending the war in Ukraine and security guarantees.
Following the dispute, Trump told Zelenskyy to leave the White House and halted military aid and intelligence sharing to Ukraine to pressure him into peace negotiations on Trump’s terms.
The survey data revealed that by early February 2025, before the deterioration in US-Ukraine relations, 57% of Ukrainians trusted Zelenskyy while 37% did not, creating a positive trust balance of +20%.
Between 14 February and 4 March, the president’s trust level rose to 67%, with those expressing distrust dropping to 29%. This improved the trust-distrust balance to +38%.
Looking at the most recent period captured in the survey, between 1-4 March, Zelenskyy’s trust rating reached 68%, with distrust falling to 27%, resulting in a trust balance of +41%.
“Trust in the president is slightly lower in Eastern Ukraine, but even in this region, the majority trust Zelenskyy – 60% trust and 36% do not trust him,” the poll states. “In other regions (West, Center, South), 66-69% trust and 28-30% do not trust him.”
The survey results come after a series of public exchanges between the American and Ukrainian presidents. On 18 February, Trump falsely claimed Zelenskyy had an approval rating of only 4% and called for elections in Ukraine.
KIIS responded on 19 February, saying that trust in the Ukrainian president was around 57%. The same day, Zelenskyy called Trump’s statement “disinformation.”
The US president later referred to Zelenskyy as a “dictator without elections” and accused him of “dragging the US into war.” Ukraine’s Constitution prohibits elections during martial law, with critics noting the practical impossibility of organizing voting for frontline soldiers and refugees during wartime.
On 23 February, Zelenskyy said that he would be willing to leave office if it meant peace for Ukraine or NATO membership, though he noted that holding elections during wartime would be dangerous.
Ukraine’s Preisdent opposition and potential candidates on the presidential post also oppose the elections during the war.
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