Corruption, war, environment: why Zelenskyy’s credibility is falling
6 August 2025 12:53
The level of Ukrainians’ trust in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been declining in recent months, reaching 58% in early August 2025. This is evidenced by the results of a study conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) on July 23-August 4, 2025, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
Dynamics of falling trust
According to KIIS, trust in the president has been showing a steady downward trend after reaching a 2025 high of 74% in early May. At that time, the level of support increased amid the signing of the Fossil Fuel Agreement and expectations of resumption of negotiations with Russia.
However, in the second half of May and early June, confidence began to drop to 65%. The current survey showed a further decline to 58%, which means a drop of 7 percentage points compared to the beginning of summer.
At the same time, the level of distrust is growing: while in early June 30% of Ukrainians did not trust the president, this figure has now reached 35%. The balance of trust and distrust has dropped from 35% to 23%.
The impact of the law on the independence of the NABU and the SAPO
The July 22 vote in the Verkhovna Rada on the law restricting the independence of the NABU and the SAPO had a significant impact on the drop in trust. The poll was launched the day after this high-profile decision.
Interestingly, among the first 500 respondents, the level of trust was only 55%, while among the next 522 respondents it was already 60%. This may indicate that immediately after July 22, trust fell even further, but then recovered somewhat due to the government’s quick response and the repeal of the law.
6% of those who do not trust the president directly named the July 22 vote as the reason for their distrust.
Regional differences
Trust has fallen the most in the western regions of Ukraine – from 73% in early June to 55% in early August, or by 18 percentage points. If earlier the West demonstrated the highest level of support for the president, now it does not stand out among other regions.
In the Central region, the level of trust remained unchanged at 63%. In the South, trust has decreased from 61% to 55%, and in the East – from 61% to 54%.
Despite the decline, in all regions, the majority of citizens continue to trust the president, and a positive balance of trust and distrust remains everywhere.
Young people are the most disappointed
A particularly significant drop in trust was recorded among young Ukrainians under the age of 30 – from 74% in early summer to 59% now. This is a 15 percentage point decline, which is the largest among all age groups.
Among other age groups, the decline is less dramatic:
- 30-44 years old: from 62% to 55% (-7 percentage points);
- 45-59 years old: from 61% to 56% (-5 p.p.);
- 60 years old: from 65% to 62% (-3 p.p.).
Such a drop in trust among young people correlates with the fact that young people were significantly represented among the protesters after the vote for the law restricting the independence of the NABU and the SAPO.
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Main reasons for distrust
Respondents who do not trust the President most often mentioned the following reasons:
- Corruption (21% ) is the most common reason for distrust. Ukrainians express dissatisfaction with corruption in the government, although only in a few cases do they blame the president himself.
- War issues (20%) – criticism concerns allegedly insufficient preparation for a full-scale invasion and failure to end the war.
- Problems with the environment (10%) – dissatisfaction with the president’s team, which is considered ineffective.
- Lack of competence (9%) – doubts about the ability to perform presidential functions.
- Failureto fulfill promises (9%) – disappointment due to unmet expectations from the election program.
Historical context
For comparison, after the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022, the level of trust in the president reached 90%. The lowest figure during the war was recorded in December 2024 – 52%. The current 58% is still higher than that low, but the trend is significant.
Expert commentary
Anton Hrushetsky, Executive Director of KIIS, notes that President Zelenskyy, despite large-scale protests and a strong media reaction, retains a fairly high level of trust among the Ukrainian public. This may have been facilitated by the quick response to the protests and the prompt introduction of the new law to the parliament.
However, the steady downward trend is an alarming signal that requires attention and balanced decisions from the authorities.
“Various polls show a sharp perception of injustice in society, especially in the context of a full-scale war and the uneven distribution of its burden among different social groups. Cases of corruption and illicit enrichment during the war and the absence (from the subjective point of view of an average Ukrainian) of fair punishment are powerful triggers for the vast majority of the Ukrainian public. It should be emphasized that Ukrainians see regular arrests of corrupt officials and politicians, but mere arrests/investigations are not perceived as evidence of a dedicated fight against corruption,”
– writes Hrushetsky.
Ukrainians are ready to wait even 5 years for trials if the perpetrators eventually receive real prison terms, the expert believes.
Research methodology
The survey was conducted by telephone interviews based on a random sample of mobile numbers in all regions of the government-controlled territory. A total of 1022 respondents over the age of 18 were interviewed. The statistical error does not exceed 4.1% for indicators close to 50%.
Summary
The results of the study show that although the government has not lost its legitimacy, the growing criticism requires effective interaction between the government and the public to maintain stability in the face of war.
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