A poll taken by the Ratings Sociological Group and published by the Kyiv Independent on Sunday showed President Volodymyr Zelensky soaring to 91 percent approval for his war leadership, a huge rebound from post-pandemic approval ratings hovering in the 30s.
The poll found 47 percent of Ukrainians are “absolutely sure of a military victory” against Russia, with another 23 percent only “rather confident” of victory. Confidence was especially high in western and central Ukraine, dipping about ten points in the south and east.
Only six percent of respondents said they did not support Zelensky’s actions in the conflict.
A different poll conducted only two weeks ago by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology found only 30 percent of respondents wanted Zelensky to run for a second term as president, and only 23 percent said they would vote for him if he did.
The earlier poll found Zelensky’s Servant of the People Party (named after the TV comedy in which Zelensky, a professional comedian, presciently played an ordinary guy who found himself catapulted to the presidency) was in serious danger of losing parliamentary control.
Skeptical observers like the Wilson Center were writing Zelensky’s political obituary as 2021 drew to a close, pronouncing him a once-promising outsider candidate who failed to deliver much-needed reform of Ukraine’s corrupt system.
However, the Wilson Center was charitable enough to note that Zelenksy’s 30 percent approval rating was still more than double that of his closest competitor and the incumbent he displaced, Petro Poroshenko. Poroshenko has lately been following Zelensky’s lead, appearing around Kyiv in battle dress and vowing to fight the Russian invaders.
Anna Myroniuk, the head investigative reporter for the Kyiv Independent, wrote an op-ed for the Washington Post on Monday in which she chronicled her own reversal of opinion on Zelensky.
“Back in 2019, I did not vote for him. Like some other Ukrainians, I did not believe Zelensky, a comedian, actor, and entertainer with no experience in politics, was suited for the job. His campaign was idealistic but lacked substance. He was often vague and raised concerns about where he stood toward Russia. He had his own powerful backer, the billionaire who owned the TV station that broadcast “Servant of the People,” the show that made Zelensky a star,” Myroniuk recalled.
The Kyiv Independent journalist chided Zelensky for his “selective” efforts to fight corruption, his evident unwillingness to pursue scandals against his allies, and excessive sensitivity toward media criticism, but said his determination to resist Russia and keep the embattled eastern Donbas region in Ukraine began winning her over.
Myroniuk said she fled Ukraine along with many other journalists when Russia invaded, assuming Zelensky would roll over or flee himself, and now they regret their decision. She said she was not surprised to see her newspaper publish a poll with Zelensky at 91 percent approval.
“The actor-turned-president stumbled and did not live up to my expectations at first — but now he has demonstrated that he is not shying away from the biggest responsibility for any national leader: the protection of their people,” she said.
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