President Volodymyr Zelensky maintains his position as Ukraine’s most reliable political figure, according to a survey released by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) on December 19.
Zelensky leads the rankings with 77% expressing trust in him, followed by comedian, public figure, and prominent fundraiser Serhii Prytula at 69%, and Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko securing the third spot with 52%.
All individuals assessed in the survey experienced a decline in trust compared to the previous year, including Zelensky, who enjoyed a confidence level of 90% in May 2022.
An exception to this trend was former President Petro Poroshenko, whose trust increased from 16% in May 2022 to 27% in the December 2023 survey.
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The most notable shift in trust was observed in the case of controversial former presidential office advisor Oleksii Arestovych, whose perceived trustworthiness plummeted from 62% in May 2022 to a mere 11% in December 2023.
A prior KIIS survey on December 18 indicated a decrease in trust for Zelensky to 62%, while Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi enjoyed an 88% trust rating. Notably, these polls covered different time frames and subjects; the December 18 poll focused on trust in institutions and officials, while the December 19 poll specifically addressed political figures, excluding Zaluzhnyi and other military officials.
Zelensky continues to command unprecedented trust and support, a rarity in Western democracies. For context, the average approval rating for U.S. presidents from 1938 to 2023 stands at only 53%, with Barack Obama being the sole recent president to surpass a 50% average approval rating.
