Trust in Zelenskyy Rises to 57% Following US Pressure on Kyiv, Survey Shows

Trust in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rose from 43% to 57% among respondents surveyed before and after renewed US pressure on Ukraine, according to polling results published on October 20.

The Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) published the findings following a nationwide survey conducted from October 8 to 16. Researchers compared responses collected before and after the October 9 US-Russia diesel agreement and subsequent American pressure on Kyiv.

During October 8–9, 43% of respondents expressed trust in Zelenskyy, while 52% distrusted him. Among those interviewed from October 10–16, trust increased to 57%, while distrust declined to 39%.

KIIS suggested that the shift reflected a "rally around the flag" effect, with Ukrainians increasingly supporting their president in response to external pressure. However, researchers acknowledged that differences between the two polling periods could partly reflect methodological factors.

Across the entire October survey, 54% of Ukrainians expressed trust in Zelenskyy, while 41% distrusted him. These figures were identical to those recorded in late August and early September, indicating that overall public confidence remained stable.

Among respondents expressing trust, 22% trusted Zelenskyy completely, while 32% generally trusted him. Conversely, 24% expressed complete distrust, and another 17% reported moderate distrust.

"As a result, we are seeing another rally around the flag and an increase in trust in the president," KIIS Executive Director Anton Hrushetskyi wrote in his commentary on the findings.

Hrushetskyi explained that while many Ukrainians criticize Zelenskyy over corruption scandals, personnel decisions, and domestic governance, their attitudes differ when evaluating his defense of Ukraine's interests internationally.

The sociologist also cautioned that the increase might prove temporary. He noted that similar effects observed in 2025 were smaller and shorter-lived than those recorded following Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.

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Without the diesel agreement and subsequent pressure, Hrushetskyi suggested, trust in Zelenskyy might have fallen below 50%, potentially producing a negative trust balance for the first time under the institute's current polling methodology.

The survey involved 1,031 Ukrainian adults living in government-controlled territory, interviewed by telephone. The October 8–9 sample included 274 respondents, with a margin of error of 7.7 percentage points. The October 10–16 sample included 757 respondents, with a margin of error of 4.6 percentage points.

The surge in support comes amid a widening rift between Kyiv and Washington over the direction of peace efforts. Earlier, US President Donald Trump suspended several sanctions against Russia for 60 days, just two days before they were due to take effect, arguing that new restrictions could drive Moscow away from negotiations.

Zelenskyy warned that recent US decisions, including restrictions on Starlink, delays in Patriot deliveries, and interruptions in intelligence sharing, appeared aimed at pushing Ukraine toward capitulation. He also noted that Washington was supplying just 12 Patriot interceptors per month, roughly four times fewer than under the Biden administration.

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