Replies

“If Putin is losing popularity because of the thousands of lost fighters, wouldn’t it also be logical that Zelensky is losing popularity by sending his men into a meat grinder?”

Apparently not:

1. Dynamics of trust in President V. Zelenskyi in 2019-2025
Anton Hrushetskyi
https://www.kiis.com.ua/?lang=eng&cat=reports&id=1496&page=1

“President V. Zelenskyi retains a fairly high level of trust in society (in fact, for a democratic society to have a current trust indicator is a very good result!) and even more so retains legitimacy.

If some international partners and allies are worried about the legitimacy of the President in the context of possible peace negotiations and consider it appropriate to insist on elections, then from the point of view of Ukrainian citizens themselves, there are no problems with this, the current President and the authorities are quite legitimate to conduct complex negotiations, and elections should be held after the war ends and at least Ukraine receives reliable security guarantees.” (Excerpt)

2. Would Ukraine Elections See Zelensky Reelected? What Polls Say
by Maya Mehrara
Published Feb 19, 2025 at 11:26 AM EST
https://www.newsweek.com/would-ukraine-elections-see-zelensky-reelected-what-polls-say-2033148

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would have a strong chance at reelection if there was a vote according to recent polls conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS).

Newsweek reached out to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine for comment via email.

Why It Matters

Zelensky has been a central figure in Ukraine’s resistance since Russia invaded in 2022. He was elected president in 2019 and would have faced reelection in 2024, but the country has been under martial law since the invasion. Zelensky has not said whether or not he will seek reelection as he continues to focus on the war. (Excerpt)