Majority of Ukrainians still see Zelenskyy and parliament as legitimate
Nation26 February 2025, 02:34 PM
The poll results come amid controversy over U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent claims about Zelenskyy’s approval rating.
When asked whether they consider the President and parliament legitimate, given that their terms technically ended but elections are prohibited during martial law, respondents answered as follows:
- 61.3% believe both institutions remain legitimate,
- 30.5% do not consider them legitimate.
Additionally, the survey found that 63.3% of Ukrainians oppose holding elections before the war ends. Among those who support elections:
- 28.9% favor both presidential and parliamentary elections,
- 3.1% support only parliamentary elections,
- 0.7% support only a presidential election.
The face-to-face survey, conducted from Feb. 3–9, 2025, included 2,000 respondents from Ukrainian government-controlled territories.
Trump’s criticism and Zelenskyy’s response
On Feb. 18, Trump claimed that Zelenskyy’s approval had dropped to 4% and called for elections in Ukraine. The following day, the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) debunked his lies, reporting that Zelenskyy’s actual trust rating stood at around 57%.
On Feb. 19, Zelenskyy dismissed Trump’s statement as disinformation, after which Trump escalated his rhetoric, labeling the Ukrainian leader a "dictator without elections" and blaming him for dragging the U.S. into the war.
Later, on Feb. 23, Zelenskyy responded by saying that he would step down if it meant securing peace for Ukraine or gaining NATO membership, but reiterated that holding elections during wartime remains too dangerous.