Zelensky approval rating data in Ukraine

[WalterWhite]

TL;DR: Zelensky has extremely high approval ratings across every region and age range of Ukraine.

Nationwide approval rating as of February 2023: 91% (Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1100076/volodymyr-zelensky-s-approval-rating-ukraine/)

Regional approval ratings as of September 2022:
Center: 91%
West: 89%
Kyiv: 85%
North: 85%
South: 83%
East: 78%
Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1346711/volodymyr-zelenskyy-approval-rating-by-region-ukraine/

Approval ratings by age as of September 2022:
15-34: 91%
35-54: 85%
55+: 79%
Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1346707/volodymyr-zelenskyy-approval-rating-by-age-ukraine/

[WalterWhite]

Side note: This data is generally reliable given that Ukraine is not a very authoritarian country, so people would not feel an incentive to lie on these surveys.

[TheReckoning]

I mean, Bush had a 90% approval rating after 9/11. It’s called “rally around the flag.”

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

I mean, Bush had a 90% approval rating after 9/11. It’s called “rally around the flag.”

If America was actually being invaded by a land power, Biden would probably have sky-high approvals too, even if his non-war-related policies would never be beyond reproach.

[WalterWhite]

I mean, Bush had a 90% approval rating after 9/11. It’s called “rally around the flag.”

That is correct. I just wanted to post these approval rating numbers to show people that, regardless of region, most people in Ukraine are on Ukraine's side in the war.

[Upper Canada Tory]

I mean, Bush had a 90% approval rating after 9/11. It’s called “rally around the flag.”

If America was actually being invaded by a land power, Biden would probably have sky-high approvals too, even if his non-war-related policies would never be beyond reproach.

In general, you're right. The rally around the flag effect does tend to give leaders extremely high approval ratings during wartime.

With that said, Zelensky's wartime approval rating has been over 90+% for a year and a half. You'd think that Ukrainians would find something to be unhappy about with regard to his policies, even if only domestically and not war-related, such as corruption.

It's generally not good for democracy for a leader to have a 90% approval rating for a prolonged period of time. Heads of government need to be openly criticized on a regular basis - otherwise, there's no accountability. Ukraine is relatively democratic for a post-Soviet state, but for that to continue and to help clean up existing issues in the country like corruption, the administration needs to be openly and regularly scrutinized.

[Oppo]

Not denying his popularity but a lot has happened since September 2022 or even February 2023…

[2952-0-0]

In Britain during WW2, Churchill's approval rating always remained sky-high. While there was widespread solidarity during the worst of the Blitz, when Britain was no longer under threat of invasion, some of the old habits of the British class system returned. Hence, the longer the war dragged on, the more the polls indicated more support for Labour. But Churchill simply assumed he could use his wartime popularity to coast his way to victory in the first post-war election, and found out that wasn't the case. People are able to grasp nuances that could allow democracy to continue even during a total war.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

In Britain during WW2, Churchill's approval rating always remained sky-high. While there was widespread solidarity during the worst of the Blitz, when Britain was no longer under threat of invasion, some of the old habits of the British class system returned. Hence, the longer the war dragged on, the more the polls indicated more support for Labour. But Churchill simply assumed he could use his wartime popularity to coast his way to victory in the first post-war election, and found out that wasn't the case. People are able to grasp nuances that could allow democracy to continue even during a total war.

Someone should have recorded Stalin's reaction upon learning that Churchill was going to have to go home early from Potsdam due to his party losing.

[CumbrianLefty]

Not denying his popularity but a lot has happened since September 2022 or even February 2023…

Yeah, what are the most recent credible figures (if any)

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Not denying his popularity but a lot has happened since September 2022 or even February 2023…

Yeah, what are the most recent credible figures (if any)

Found via google search results in Ukrainian and Russian:
https://chas.news/news/naibilshe-ukraintsi-doviryayut-zelenskomu-kimu-ta-prituli-opituvannya
https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/komu-politikiv-ta-gromadskih-diyachiv-doviryayut-1690362363.html
(left-click for Google Translate)
Not a huge amount of polls measuring his popularity during wartime, it seems. Weird how little there is.

[Alben Barkley]

Side note: This data is generally reliable given that Ukraine is not a very authoritarian country, so people would not feel an incentive to lie on these surveys.

It's also reliable because Zelenskyy has poor approval ratings pre-war, proving that nobody was afraid to say they disapproved of him or anything.

[Pericles]

Not denying his popularity but a lot has happened since September 2022 or even February 2023…

Yeah, what are the most recent credible figures (if any)

Found via google search results in Ukrainian and Russian:
https://chas.news/news/naibilshe-ukraintsi-doviryayut-zelenskomu-kimu-ta-prituli-opituvannya
https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/komu-politikiv-ta-gromadskih-diyachiv-doviryayut-1690362363.html
(left-click for Google Translate)
Not a huge amount of polls measuring his popularity during wartime, it seems. Weird how little there is.

I doubt it would be easy to accurately poll a country in a state of total war.

[LAKISYLVANIA]

Zelenskyy is basically the FDR of Ukraine.

He'll always be known as one of the great.

And he has been succesful in defending Ukraine so far. Doubt that every Ukrainian leader would have been succesful in getting international support for their cause.

[Alben Barkley]

Zelenskyy is basically the FDR of Ukraine.

He'll always be known as one of the great.

And he has been succesful in defending Ukraine so far. Doubt that every Ukrainian leader would have been succesful in getting international support for their cause.

Churchill is a better comparison IMO.

Also pleasantly surprised to see you praise him.

[KaiserDave]

Zelenskyy is basically the FDR of Ukraine.

He'll always be known as one of the great.

And he has been succesful in defending Ukraine so far. Doubt that every Ukrainian leader would have been succesful in getting international support for their cause.

Churchill is a better comparison IMO.

Also pleasantly surprised to see you praise him.

Interestingly, Zelenskyy does not love the Churchill comparisons nor is he particularly inspired by the man.

[Alben Barkley]

Zelenskyy is basically the FDR of Ukraine.

He'll always be known as one of the great.

And he has been succesful in defending Ukraine so far. Doubt that every Ukrainian leader would have been succesful in getting international support for their cause.

Churchill is a better comparison IMO.

Also pleasantly surprised to see you praise him.

Interestingly, Zelenskyy does not love the Churchill comparisons nor is he particularly inspired by the man.

Source?

[KaiserDave]

Zelenskyy is basically the FDR of Ukraine.

He'll always be known as one of the great.

And he has been succesful in defending Ukraine so far. Doubt that every Ukrainian leader would have been succesful in getting international support for their cause.

Churchill is a better comparison IMO.

Also pleasantly surprised to see you praise him.

Interestingly, Zelenskyy does not love the Churchill comparisons nor is he particularly inspired by the man.

Source?

Since taking office, Zelensky has read about Winston Churchill, the historical figure to whom he has most often been compared in recent months. Yet he recoils at the suggestion that they have anything in common. “People say different things about him,” Zelensky notes dryly, making clear that he has no admiration for Churchill’s record as an imperialist. Ukraine’s President would prefer to be associated with other figures of Churchill’s era, like the author George Orwell, or with the great comedian who lampooned Hitler in the middle of the Holocaust. “I’ve raised the example of Charlie Chaplin,” Zelensky told me on the train, “how he used the weapon of information during the Second World War to fight against fascism. You see, there were these artists who helped society, because they had a lot of admirers, and their influence was often stronger than artillery.”

https://time.com/person-of-the-year-2022-volodymyr-zelensky/

Tremendous article, and he actually seems even more critical then how I remembered it

[Хahar 🤔]

“People say different things about him,” Zelensky notes dryly, making clear that he has no admiration for Churchill’s record as an imperialist.

Hearing this will force our friend to make some hard decisions!

I don't even care if he was an imperialist/racist/whatever.

[Alben Barkley]

“People say different things about him,” Zelensky notes dryly, making clear that he has no admiration for Churchill’s record as an imperialist.

Hearing this will force our friend to make some hard decisions!

I don't even care if he was an imperialist/racist/whatever.

No it doesn't. I have no admiration for Churchill's imperialist record either, and that quote was taken out of a context in which I was clearly saying it all pales in comparison to his WW2 record despite everything. And I don't even get the sense based on what has been posted that Zelenskyy disagrees with me. "People say different things about him" is somehow supposed to be this hard-hitting damnation? What? It's possible to believe that Churchill was an imperialist, and that's bad, and that he also was a freedom fighter at a time when it counted the most, and that's good. These are in fact not contradictory ideas. They reflect the reality and complexity of a human life. It's bizarre to me how much people these days seem to want to shove everyone from the past into either the "good" box or the "bad" box, leaving no room whatsoever for nuance or historical context.

Besides, Zelenskyy literally quoted Churchill to the UK parliament!

[bilaps]

Side note: This data is generally reliable given that Ukraine is not a very authoritarian country, so people would not feel an incentive to lie on these surveys.

I have read a lot of things on this board, but this one has to top everything.

[DavidB.]

Side note: This data is generally reliable given that Ukraine is not a very authoritarian country, so people would not feel an incentive to lie on these surveys.

I have read a lot of things on this board, but this one has to top everything.

Because?

[Conservatopia]

In Britain during WW2, Churchill's approval rating always remained sky-high. While there was widespread solidarity during the worst of the Blitz, when Britain was no longer under threat of invasion, some of the old habits of the British class system returned. Hence, the longer the war dragged on, the more the polls indicated more support for Labour. But Churchill simply assumed he could use his wartime popularity to coast his way to victory in the first post-war election, and found out that wasn't the case. People are able to grasp nuances that could allow democracy to continue even during a total war.

Someone should have recorded Stalin's reaction upon learning that Churchill was going to have to go home early from Potsdam due to his party losing.

Apparently Stalin privately told Churchill before the election that he predicted a small Conservative majority.

I suppose Churchill took this prediction seriously because Stalin had correctly predicted the outcome of every Soviet election.

[Person Man]

It's really good that kids like him the most. Kids like our guys a lot, too. Even if some of his guys are as bad as Putin or even worse, Zelensky is one of us.

[CumbrianLefty]

In Britain during WW2, Churchill's approval rating always remained sky-high. While there was widespread solidarity during the worst of the Blitz, when Britain was no longer under threat of invasion, some of the old habits of the British class system returned. Hence, the longer the war dragged on, the more the polls indicated more support for Labour. But Churchill simply assumed he could use his wartime popularity to coast his way to victory in the first post-war election, and found out that wasn't the case. People are able to grasp nuances that could allow democracy to continue even during a total war.

Someone should have recorded Stalin's reaction upon learning that Churchill was going to have to go home early from Potsdam due to his party losing.

Apparently Stalin privately told Churchill before the election that he predicted a small Conservative majority.

I suppose Churchill took this prediction seriously because Stalin had correctly predicted the outcome of every Soviet election.

"What matters is not how people vote, but who counts the vote"

I wonder if Uncle Joe offered Winnie that bit of "advice"?