Putin's approval rating continues to fall for the second week in a row
Support for Russian leader Vladimir Putin among Russian citizens has been declining for the second week in a row. According to the poll results, his approval ratings and the level of trust in his actions continue to decline.
One of the reasons cited for this decline is the impact of Ukraine’s new long-term sanctions, which have affected the mood of a segment of Russian society.
What the poll showed
In a poll conducted from June 29 to July 5, 66% of respondents expressed approval of Putin’s actions. This is 0.9 percentage points lower than the previous week.
72.3% of those surveyed expressed trust in Putin—1 percentage point less than the previous week.
Both figures have been falling for two weeks in a row: approval has dropped by 4.4 percentage points (from 70.4%), and trust has also fallen by 4.4 percentage points (from 76.7%).
The disapproval rating rose by 1.2 percentage points over the week, to 22.5%. Distrust of Putin increased by 0.7 percentage points, to 22.8%.
However, neither indicator has yet reached the wartime lows recorded in mid-April amid internet blackouts (65.6% approval, 71% trust).
The Kremlin-aligned Public Opinion Foundation has also recorded a decline in trust. According to its poll, conducted July 3–5, trust in Putin fell from 71% to 69%. At the same time, FOM recorded an increase in the president’s approval rating—from 70% to 71%.
Why Are the Ratings Falling?
According to FOM, the main event of the week for Russians was the gasoline shortage and price hikes—20% of respondents cited this as the top issue.
By comparison, 18% of respondents cited the “special operation” as the topic of the week, while 12% cited shelling of Russian territories.
Just a week ago, the main events for Russians were the shelling of Russia (19%) and “the special military operation in general” (15%), while only 14% of respondents mentioned the gasoline shortage.
This is reported with reference to data from a poll by the state-run VTsIOM.
Putin is losing the initiative on the battlefield — Zelenskyy.
As a reminder, Zelenskyy told Trump that Moscow is not a suitable location for negotiations due to the danger posed by drones.
Trump stated that the U.S. may allow Ukraine to produce missiles for the Patriot system.
Additionally, U.S. President Donald Trump criticized Spain ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara, declaring his intention to sever trade relations and halt visits between the two countries.
