The popularity of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to a new poll, has fallen significantly. The majority of voters oppose him running for a second term. This is shown by the results of a study conducted by the Social Monitoring Center on behalf of the American organization American Political Services, which is cited by the British newspaper The Times . Although the survey data itself is not published on the center's website, the press notes that the results of the study do not give Zelensky a high chance of re-election.
Only 16% of respondents said they would vote for Zelenskyy to be re-elected for a second term. About 60% of voters opposed his re-election. If Zelenskyy decides to run, he could lose in the first round to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valery Zaluzhny, who is supported by 27% of voters. Zaluzhny is ahead of the president by more than 10%, indicating a significant decline in Zelenskyy's popularity among Ukrainians.
The reasons for Zelensky's decline in popularity are corruption scandals and general war fatigue, experts believe. This, according to The Times , has negatively affected his image. In addition, the political situation in Ukraine is worsening due to the president's attempts to make a number of controversial decisions, in particular regarding mobilization policy. One of these decisions is a bill on lowering the mobilization age, which the president approved only after lengthy disputes.
According to the report, Zelensky's popularity could fall even further if he makes concessions to the US and decides to lower the military draft age to 18. This could cause additional discontent among Ukrainians, as such a decision is likely to have negative social consequences. As noted by British expert on Ukraine Andrew Wilson, the topic of early elections is actively discussed against the backdrop of such events, and this could become the main reason for holding new elections.
It is also worth noting that Russian propaganda is actively working on the issue of Zelensky's legitimacy in the eyes of the international community, in particular among Republicans in the United States. Now this topic is gaining popularity, and in the United States they have again started talking about the possibility of holding new presidential elections in Ukraine. Experts note that this may be part of the Kremlin's strategic game aimed at destabilizing the political situation in Ukraine.
At the same time, many experts believe that it would be better for Zelensky to hold elections before his popularity drops even more. They believe that organizing early elections could be a profitable strategy to avoid a further decline in his rating. At the same time, the question of new elections remains open.
