More than half of Ukrainians say Zelensky should not run for president again, poll says

Some 53% of Ukrainians think President Volodymyr Zelensky should not run for a second term, according to a poll published by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) on Oct. 5.

In turn, 42% think Zelensky should participate in Ukraine's next presidential election, while 5% were undecided, according to the latest poll.

Ukraine's constitution does not allow elections under martial law, which was declared when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The survey shows a steady decline in support for Zelensky's second term. In December 2023, 59% of respondents said the incumbent president should run again, and only 45% shared this view in December 2025.

The study comes as the president faces growing scrutiny over corruption scandals implicating figures from his inner circle and unexpected personnel decisions, including the firing of popular Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.

Nevertheless, recent polls continue to show Zelensky among the leading candidates in future elections, alongside Fedorov and Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the former military chief and current ambassador to the U.K.

A little over a year ago, Zelensky told Axios that he would not seek re-election once the war with the Kremlin ends.

"If we finish (the) war with (the) Russians, I'm ready not to go for the second term because it's not my goal — elections," Zelensky said in September 2025.

The same survey found that a vast majority of Ukrainians —  71% — oppose holding presidential elections during wartime.

The possibility of holding elections during wartime was briefly raised in August by Fedorov, whose sudden dismissal sparked nationwide protests.

However, the Ukrainian public did not respond favorably to Fedorov's call for elections due to the many logistical constraints faced by military personnel, millions of Ukrainians abroad, and those living near the front line.

The KIIS survey also revealed that 45% of Ukrainians believe their country's affairs are moving in the wrong direction, while 40% think the opposite.

Furthermore, 44% said they "mostly feel disappointment" about Zelensky's current government, and 33% said they feel shame. Both markers have increased since the KIIS's last survey in December 2025.

"There is a significant demand in Ukrainian society for the renewal of political elites, and it has only intensified in recent years," commented Anton Hrushetskyi, executive director of KIIS, in a press release.

The poll was conducted between Sept. 12 and 21, with the participation of 1,002 respondents living in government-controlled territories.