A recent survey conducted in Ukraine indicates a significant show of support for President Volodymyr Zelensky's handling of the country's war against Russia.
The poll, published in Newsweek magazine, reflects a surge in the president's popularity since the Russian invasion in February 2022.
For nearly 18 months, Ukraine has been embroiled in a bloody conflict with Moscow, prompting Zelensky to relentlessly seek international support. His efforts have seen success, with Western countries providing Ukraine with substantial military aid and financial assistance.
Zelensky pushes for support from NATO
Just recently, Zelensky attended the NATO summit in Lithuania, where he met with US President Joe Biden, who reaffirmed the United States' continued support for Ukraine.
The survey, which covered one thousand Ukrainian citizens over the age of 18 residing within the country's borders, even during the ongoing war, reveals that 58% of respondents expressed substantial satisfaction with Zelensky's conduct throughout the conflict. An additional 33% reported being somewhat satisfied. Conversely, only 4% disapproved of his conduct, with 3% expressing complete dissatisfaction, and 2% remaining undecided.
The data closely mirrors the results of a survey conducted in June 2022, just four months after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, during which Zelensky also enjoyed high levels of support. In contrast, an earlier poll from March 2021, conducted prior to the outbreak of war, showed that merely 12% of Ukrainians were content with the president's actions, 26% offered partial support, and 35% opposed his conduct as president.
During the NATO summit in Lithuania, Zelensky sparked some controversy among alliance leaders with a tweet expressing frustration: "It’s unprecedented and absurd when time frame is not set neither for the invitation nor for Ukraine's membership. While at the same time vague wording about 'conditions' is added even for inviting Ukraine. It seems there is no readiness neither to invite Ukraine to NATO nor to make it a member of the Alliance. This means that a window of opportunity is being left to bargain Ukraine's membership in NATO in negotiations with Russia. And for Russia, this means motivation to continue its terror."
The incident led to discussions within NATO about Zelensky's "pressure tactics," with even some of his staunchest supporters questioning whether his actions served Ukraine's best interests. However, despite the upheaval behind the scenes, NATO countries backing Ukraine in its conflict with Russia remain strong supporters of Zelensky.