Only 25% of Ukrainians want Zelenskyy to remain president after war, poll finds
Only one in four Ukrainians believe President Volodymyr Zelenskyy should remain in office after the end of Russia’s full-scale invasion, according to a new survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) published on Monday.
Despite the decline in post-war support, Zelenskyy continues to enjoy a relatively high level of public trust, the poll showed. Around 60% of Ukrainians said they trust the president, while 35% do not — a slight improvement from August and early September, when his ratings fell amid criticism over his team’s handling of anti-corruption institutions, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
According to the poll:
25% want Zelenskyy to stay president after the war.
41% believe he should remain in politics in some form.
36% think he should leave politics entirely.
14% say he should face criminal prosecution.
The survey noted that public preferences for Zelenskyy’s future do not directly reflect his electoral rating, as decisions during elections depend on competing candidates.
Zelenskyy has previously said he will not seek re-election once the war is over. Under Ukraine’s constitution, national elections cannot be held during martial law, which was introduced at the start of Russia’s invasion in 2022.
When Zelenskyy first took office in 2019, he enjoyed 80% public trust, which dropped to 37% before the war but soared to 90% after the invasion began.
The latest KIIS survey was conducted between September 19 and October 5 among 1,008 respondents across Ukraine, excluding territories under Russian occupation.
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