Trust in Ukraine's President Declines as Society Shifts Psychologically, Analysts Say
Recent polls show 63% of Ukrainians want a new president after the war, while only 32% would vote for the incumbent. Experts attribute the paradox to a societal shift from wartime unity to moral polarization and a search for hope.
New opinion polls reveal a significant decline in trust toward Ukraine's president. According to the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS), 63% of respondents would prefer a different president after the war ends, while only 32% would vote for the current leader, per Rating Group data. Additionally, over 80% support resetting parliament, and 74% want a new government.
Socio-psychological analysis suggests a fundamental shift in public mood since the full-scale invasion began. Initially, Ukrainian society entered a "fight-or-flight" mode, rallying behind a strong, authoritarian leader—similar to the U.S. response after 9/11. Now, after years of war, society has moved into a new phase marked by moral polarization.
The population is deeply divided: between regions heavily shelled and safer areas; between those with mobilized relatives and those with deferments; between Ukrainians at home and abroad. War fatigue, paranoia, and internal aggression are rising, manifesting in attacks on military enlistment offices and demobilized soldiers.
Psychologist Angela Skryleva-Popova explains that society no longer seeks an authoritarian leader for protection but one who can restore hope and meaning. The current leadership is perceived as focusing on military command and immediate decisions, failing to offer a vision for the future. Trust in the president only rises situationally—in response to perceived Western injustice—but this is not sustainable.
The article notes that Ukraine, unlike societies in a state of anomie, is experiencing erosion of social trust and moral polarization. The public desires progressive democratic leaders, not authoritarian ones. These trends are likely to persist after the war, as seen in the aftermath of the Yugoslav wars.
