80% of Ukrainians trust Zelenskyy, and 95% trust Armed Forces

As of May 2023, 95%  of Ukrainians trust the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and 80% trust their President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Source: results of the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology survey shared on 30 June

Quote: "Ninety five percent of Ukrainians report trusting the Armed Forces of Ukraine and 80 percent report trusting President Zelenskyy. And while much of the international media’s attention has focused on Ukraine’s requests for additional weapons and equipment from its partners, Ukrainians do not just want a strong military – they want a strong and inclusive democracy. 

In May 2023, 94 percent of Ukrainians reported that it is important that Ukraine becomes a fully functioning democracy."

Details: Sociologists report that they have been asking this question for several years, but have never seen such a result: "By comparison, when asked the same question in December 2021, only 76 percent of Ukrainians said that it was ‘important’ or ‘very important’ that Ukraine become a fully functioning democracy."

In addition, support for joining NATO and the EU is also at an all-time high.

Thus, in May 2023, 92% said they wanted Ukraine to become a member of the EU, and 89% said they wanted it to become a member of NATO.

In addition, 73% said that international organisations, Western countries or international business should play a major role in overseeing Ukraine's recovery process.

After more than a year of war and atrocities, Ukrainians do not believe that Russia will negotiate in good faith. Five months into the war, in May 2022, 59% of respondents were open to peace talks with Russia. By May 2023, the number of those in favour of negotiations had dropped to 33%, while those opposed to negotiations had risen to 63%.

Ukrainians are also confident in the country's ability to eliminate corruption. Ukrainians trust their government, represented by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, to fight corruption.

Despite the relentless nightly attacks – especially on Kyiv over the past few months – Ukrainian morale and belief in victory remain unchanged.

Ukrainians now expect the war to last longer, but their morale and belief in victory remain unchanged.

In May 2023, 47% of respondents expected at least 6 more months of war, compared to 18% in May 2022. In the latest survey, 44% said they had lost friends and family, compared to 20% in May 2022.

Over the past year, the number of people who are optimistic about the future has remained virtually unchanged. When asked to name the reason for their optimism, the most frequently mentioned was "victory".

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