The level of trust in government bodies, especially in the president, "increased significantly" in Ukraine after Russia launched its 2022 full-scale invasion, according to a recent poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS).
Around 73% of respondents trust President Volodymyr Zelensky, 54% trust the government, 49% and 51% trust the regional and local authorities, respectively, the poll results show.
The confidence in Zelensky and the government is higher among young Ukrainians and people with high incomes, while residents of Ukraine's eastern regions showed the lowest level of trust in the authorities.
Compared to 2021, Ukrainians expressed higher trust in law enforcement as well, with the National Guard's numbers having risen from 50% to 72%, the Security Service — from 23% to 59%, and the National Police — from 30% to 56%.
Meanwhile, almost half of Ukrainians don't trust domestic media, and 31% don't trust NGOs, according to the survey conducted at the request of the European Union Advisory Mission in Ukraine (EUAM Ukraine).
As for trust in the EU and NATO, 65% and 59% of respondents gave positive responses, respectively. At the same time, 77% of Ukrainians said it was important for them that Ukraine join the EU.
KIIS interviewed 2,005 adults from all Ukrainian regions except for Russian-occupied and front-line territories. The survey took place on Sept. 4-20.