Putin's approval rating in Russia has fallen to the level seen during the first week of the war
The Public Opinion Foundation (FOM), which works with Kremlin-linked organizations, has recorded a decline in Vladimir Putin’s approval rating as president to the level observed at the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
At the same time, the state-run VTsIOM reports the opposite trend—a rise in approval of the president’s performance—creating a noticeable discrepancy in the data from the polling agencies.
According to FOM, 71% of respondents believe that Vladimir Putin is performing his duties “mostly well,” while 14% rate his performance as “mostly poorly.” Compared to the previous poll, the approval rating dropped by 4 percentage points, while the share of negative assessments rose by 3 percentage points. Thus, the 71% figure has returned to the level seen during the first week of the invasion of Ukraine, when, after a sharp spike following the start of the war, it reached its lowest point for the entire period recorded by the polling agency.
FOM also recorded a decline in trust in Putin to 71% (-3 percentage points), while the share of those expressing distrust rose from 15% to 17%. The rating of the government’s performance fell to 46%, and the rating of Prime Minister Mykhailo Mishustin’s performance dropped to 51%. Separately, the survey notes a rise in dissatisfaction with the government: 30% of respondents reported that the government’s actions over the past month had caused them dissatisfaction, and 34% had heard criticism of the government from those around them, with both figures showing a 3-point increase.
Attitudes toward the United Russia party have also deteriorated sharply: the share of positive ratings fell to 42%, while negative ratings rose to 19%, marking the worst figures since 2021.
The FOM poll was conducted on May 15–17.
At the same time, the VTsIOM released other data showing that approval of the president’s performance rose to 69.4% (+2.6 percentage points), and the trust rating to 73.8% (+1.7 percentage points). The center notes that this marks the second consecutive week of rising figures following a change in polling methodology.
Polling agencies also note that the overall trend of declining support for the government has been ongoing since late February, and against this backdrop, critical sentiment in society is on the rise, which is already influencing the political rhetoric and internal decisions of the Russian authorities.
The level of dissatisfaction with the Kremlin’s foreign policy among Russians has risen sharply and reached a record high over the past two decades, according to VTsIOM survey data. Sociologists are recording a noticeable drop in support for the government’s course against the backdrop of a protracted war and growing fatigue from the conflict with the West, Russian media report.
