Poll tracks Zelensky's trust rating amid corruption investigation

A poll conducted immediately after recent investigations by Ukraine's independent anti-corruption agencies found that President Volodymyr Zelensky's trust rating stands at 54%, the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) reported on Sept. 17.

The survey was taken between Aug. 21 and Sept. 10, during an investigation by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO). The large-scale corruption scandal implicated senior officials from the Presidential Office, including former deputy head Iryna Mudra.

According to the KIIS poll, 54% of Ukrainians said they trusted Zelensky, while 41% said they did not trust him. Among respondents who trusted the president, 18% said they trusted him "fully," while the other 36% reported trusting him "somewhat."

Of those who said they did not trust Zelensky, 25% reported that they did not trust him at all while 16% said they "tend not to trust him."

Zelensky's trust rating was generally higher among women, young adults, military personnel, students, and people from Ukraine's central, northern, eastern, and southern regions.

Trust in the president was generally lower among men, people aged 45-59, western Ukrainians, and residents of Kyiv.

The ratings show virtually no change from the previous month's poll results (55% trust, 40% do not trust), before the latest corruption scandal was brought to light.

KIIS Executive Director Anton Hrushetskyi, however, noted that "the cumulative negative impact" on Zelensky's trust ratings from multiple major corruption investigations involving figures linked to the president "could ultimately prove irreversible."

Trust in Zelensky has skyrocketed during certain moments of national unity, but those ratings fall over time and ongoing anti-corruption probes "are only cementing a critical attitude" toward Zelensky's office, Hrushetskyi said.

"(W)hile Ukrainians maintain their trust in the President as the nation's leader during this brutal war, they also expect appropriate decisions and actions — particularly regarding the fight against corruption and the making of sound personnel appointments," Hrushetskyi said.

KIIS also noted that while about have of the survey was conducted after the recent investigation into former Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, the results do not take into account the events of Sept. 14, when the disgraced official attempted to launched a retaliatory attack on NABU and SAPO.