Amidst the ongoing conflict and a complex domestic agenda, Ukrainian society continues to demonstrate steady support for the current administration. As of May 2026, the majority of the country's citizens continued to trust President Volodymyr Zelensky. These findings are confirmed by a fresh poll conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) and published by RBC-Ukraine.
Stability at the Top
According to the results of the sociological study, 61% of Ukrainers express trust in the head of state. At the same time, 34% of respondents do not trust the president. The balance of trust and distrust stands at a substantial plus 27%. Experts note that compared to April 2026, these figures have remained virtually unchanged, indicating a stabilization of public opinion.
If we analyze the structure of support in more detail, 33% of citizens trust Zelensky "completely," while another 28% chose the option "rather trust." Among skeptics, 20% of respondents answered "do not trust at all," and 13% — "rather do not trust".
Military Leaders Lead the Ratings
Particular attention from sociologists was drawn to the trust ratings for representatives of the defense sector. In this segment, the highest ratings among all public figures were recorded. The leader of the list is the former head of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, now Ambassador to the UK, Valeriy Zaluzhny. He is trusted by 73% of Ukrainians, while only 21% of those surveyed express distrust.
Completing the top 3 are military figures with almost identical figures. Commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces Robert Brovdi and the current head of the President's Office, former head of the GUR Kyrylo Budanov, both received 70% trust. At the same time, the level of distrust towards Brovdi is only 7%, while for Budanov it is 22%.
Political Divide
While the military and the president hold leading positions, the ratings of traditional political parties look much more modest. Among other public figures, high figures are demonstrated by the Mayor of Kharkiv, Ihor Terekhov (52% trust vs 19% distrust), and the Minister of Defense, Mykhailo Fedorov (50% trust and 21% distrust).
On the opposite pole of the ratings are representatives of opposition forces. The lowest level of trust was recorded for the head of the parliamentary group "Platform for Life and Peace" Yurii Boyko — only 6%. The situation also turned out unsuccessfully for the leader of the "Batkivshchyna" party, Yulia Tymoshenko, whom 11% of respondents trust.
Looking to the Future and Hidden Threats
Despite the high support for the authorities, the poll revealed worrying trends in the perception of threats. More than 50% of Ukrainers consider corruption in state authorities a greater danger to the country's development than Russian aggression. This poses a difficult task for the government to maintain citizens' trust in the long term.
Nevertheless, the mood in society remains optimistic regarding the country's future. More than 60% of citizens are convinced that in 10 years Ukraine will become a prosperous state within the European Union.
The KIIS study was conducted from May 7 to June 3, 2026, using telephone interviews. The poll involved 1015 respondents, and the statistical error of the sample does not exceed 4.1%.