Trust in Zelenskyy rose to 57% following the diesel deal between the U.S. and Russia

Following reports of a “diesel deal” between the U.S. and Russia and increased pressure on Ukraine, the approval rating for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rose from 43% to 57%. Pollsters explained which factors may have influenced this shift in public sentiment.

 

The survey was conducted from October 8 to 16. Pollsters compared the responses of people surveyed on October 8–9—that is, before the “diesel deal” and the subsequent pressure on Ukraine—with those collected on October 10–16.

During the first two days of the survey, 43% of respondents trusted the president, while 52% did not. By the end of the survey, 57% trusted him, and 39% did not.

Different numbers of people were surveyed during the two periods: October 8–9—274 respondents (margin of error 7.7%); October 10–16—757 respondents (margin of error 4.6%).

The KMIS noted that, as in previous surveys, trust in the president was slightly lower in the early days of the survey than in the following days. Therefore, the difference may be partly due to methodological factors. However, the discrepancies were significantly smaller in the past.

For this reason, sociologists believe that this is most likely a “rally-around-the-flag” effect following pressure from the U.S. This is a situation where, in times of external pressure, people tend to support their leader more strongly.

Overall, 54% of Ukrainians trust the president, while 41% do not. The balance of trust and distrust stands at +13%.

Of the 54% who trust him, 22% trust him completely, and another 32% tend to trust him. Among the 41% who do not trust him, 24% do not trust him at all, and 17% tend not to trust him.

In late August and early September, the figures were the same. In other words, the level of trust has remained virtually unchanged over the past month.

The survey was conducted by telephone in all regions under Ukrainian government control. A total of 1,031 adult Ukrainians responded. The margin of error is no more than 4%.

Residents of territories temporarily not controlled by Ukrainian authorities were not surveyed. Similarly, citizens who left the country after February 24, 2022, were not surveyed. The respondents included internally displaced persons from the occupied territories.

People were asked: “To what extent do you trust or distrust Volodymyr Zelenskyy?” They were presented with four response options—ranging from “I do not trust him at all” to “I trust him completely.” The question did not mention that he is the president.

Source: KMIS

As a reminder, Trump’s approval rating has fallen to a record low of 31%.

At the same time, President Trump’s approval rating has fallen to a record low of 33%.