KIIS: 69% of Ukrainians trust President Zelensky. Majority against elections without a peace agreement

As of the second half of March 2025, 69% of Ukrainians trust President Volodymyr Zelensky.

This is evidenced by a survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS).

At the same time, 28% of Ukrainians do not trust Zelensky, meaning the balance of trust-distrust is +41%.

In the period from February 14 to March 4, 2025, Zelensky was trusted by 67% of Ukrainians, while 29% did not trust him. The balance of trust-distrust was 38%. That is, all changes are within the statistical error. However, trust indicators have improved compared to the survey in early February 2025, when Zelensky was trusted by 57% of Ukrainians.

The situation is similar in all regions of Ukraine and the balance of trust and distrust is positive. Thus, in all regions, the share of those who trust is 68-71%. And the share of those who do not trust is 27-31%.

KIIS also conducted a survey on how Ukrainians feel about holding elections under a ceasefire.

In the option with a temporary ceasefire without security guarantees, 77% of respondents oppose elections and choose the option that elections should be held only “after security guarantees or a final peace agreement and a complete end to the war”. At the same time, 8% answered that elections should be held under such conditions, and 11% answered that elections should be held right now, without even waiting for a ceasefire. That is, a total of 19% support holding elections now or in the event of a ceasefire, even without security guarantees.

Even in the event of a ceasefire with security guarantees, an absolute majority — 78% — oppose holding elections and say that elections should be held after a final peace agreement and a complete end to the war. Overall, 19% support holding elections (after a ceasefire with security guarantees or right now).

Support for the elections is closely linked to trust in President Zelensky. For example, those who do not trust the president are more likely to support the elections. Even among them, only 46% support the elections, while 50% do not.

Among those who trust Zelensky, 90% are against holding elections. Only 8% are in favor.

In all regions of Ukraine, the absolute majority — 75-78% — oppose holding elections.

The Kyiv International Institute of Sociology emphasizes that Ukrainians maintain a high level of trust in President Zelensky — they recognize him as the legitimate head of Ukraine. This is explained by the fact that Zelensky is perceived as a spokesman for the interests of Ukraine and Ukrainians, so they rally around him against the backdrop of an existential threat from Russia.

Ukrainians also remain categorical that it is their sovereign right to decide when elections should be held. There is currently no demand for elections — the vast majority of those surveyed emphasize that elections are possible only after the war is over.

How the survey was conducted

The survey was conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology from March 12 to 22, 2025. A total of 1 326 respondents were surveyed via telephone interviews based on a random sample of mobile phone numbers in all unoccupied territories of Ukraine.

The survey included citizens aged 18 and older who were living in Ukraine at the time of the survey. The survey did not include Ukrainians living in territories temporarily occupied by Russia and those who left abroad after February 24, 2022.

Formally, under normal circumstances, the statistical error of such a sample (with a probability of 0.95 and taking into account the design effect of 1.3) did not exceed 3.5% for indicators close to 50%; 3.1% for indicators close to 25%; 2.1% for indicators close to 10%; 1.6% for indicators close to 5%.

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