By Dan Peleschuk
KYIV (Reuters) -Public trust in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy fell to its lowest level in around six months following rare wartime protests against a move to curb the power of anti-corruption watchdogs, a leading Kyiv pollster said on Wednesday.
The survey, by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, is the first by a major Ukrainian pollster to measure public sentiment since Zelenskiy sparked anger with a move to subordinate the agencies to a hand-picked prosecutor-general.
Thousands of Ukrainians had rallied in Kyiv and other cities late last month against the fast-tracked measures, prompting Zelenskiy and his ruling party to quickly reverse course.
The KIIS poll, which began a day after the controversial vote on July 22, found that 58% of Ukrainians currently trust Zelenskiy, down from an 18-month high of 74% in May and 67% in February-March.
The move against anti-corruption authorities last month had fuelled discontent in particular because of what critics described as the speed and lack of transparency with which the measures were passed.
Fighting corruption and improving governance are key requirements for loan-dependent Ukraine to join the European Union, a step many consider critical to fending off future Russian pressure.
While much smaller, the demonstrations had prompted comparisons to Ukraine’s 2014 Maidan revolution, when protesters toppled a leader accused of graft and heavy-handed rule in favour of closer ties with the West.
KIIS found that those who distrust Zelenskiy cited corruption and his handling of the war as the top two reasons, at 21% and 20%, respectively.
Trust had already been decreasing before the protests, it added, but the demonstrations “undoubtedly had an impact” on the continuing slide.
Zelenskiy’s lowest wartime trust rating was 52% in December 2024, according to KIIS. The latest survey involved more than 1,000 respondents across government-controlled Ukraine.
‘WORRYING SIGNAL’
In a research note, executive director Anton Grushetskyi said Zelenskiy still enjoyed “a fairly high level of trust” but said the gradual decrease should serve as a warning.
“The persistent downward trend is a worrying signal that requires attention and thoughtful decisions from the authorities,” he wrote.
Zelenskiy, after bowing to pressure and submitting new legislation reversing the controversial measures last month, said he “respects the position of all Ukrainians”.
However, some protesters interviewed by Reuters said the scandal had at least somewhat altered their perception of Zelenskiy, whose office has also faced allegations of using wartime to centralise power. It has denied those charges.
“On the first day of the protests, I thought about…tattooing #12414 simply as a reminder,” said 22-year-old IT worker Artem Astaf’yev, referring to the controversial law’s designation.
A first-time protester, Astaf’yev added that he would probably not vote for Zelenskiy’s ruling Servant of the People party in future polls. Elections are currently suspended under martial law.
Others like Yuriy Fylypenko, a 50-year-old veteran, said the public outcry had proven that Ukraine’s traditionally vibrant civil society could be stoked even in wartime.
“We have been convinced that Ukraine is not sleeping, that Ukraine is full of potential to defend democratic principles.”
(Reporting by Dan Peleschuk)
