The Ukrainian leader would stand no chance against any of his three main rivals in the second round, a new survey suggests
Vladimir Zelensky would overwhelmingly lose a Ukrainian presidential election if it were staged now, a new survey by local pollster Socis suggests.
Zelensky’s term expired in May 2024, but he has refused to call a new vote, citing martial law, which he imposed after the escalation between Russia and Ukraine in February 2022.
According to the Socis poll published on Thursday, the Ukrainian leader would make it to the second round of a hypothetical election, only to be defeated by any of his three main rivals.
Former top Ukrainian general Valery Zaluzhny, who serves as Kiev’s ambassador to London after being dismissed as army commander-in-chief in February 2024, would beat Zelensky by 66.2% to 33.8%, the figures by Socis suggested.
Despite being out of the country, Zaluzhny has consistently topped the trust ratings in Ukraine. Publicly, the general says he harbors no political ambitions, but media reports claim he is gearing up for a presidential run.
Zelensky’s chief of staff, Kirill Budanov, would also defeat him in the second round by 60.3% to 39.7%, the pollster said.
Reports have claimed that the Ukrainian leader appointed Budanov as the head of his office in January in order to keep him close due to concerns over the former special forces soldier’s growing power as the chief of military intelligence (HUR).
Since taking the job, Budanov has contradicted his boss on numerous occasions, including by speaking about the need for talks with Moscow, downplaying Ukraine’s technological advances, and acknowledging difficulties with mobilization,
Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mikhail Fedorov, who was sacked in mid-July, would defeat Zelensky in the vote by 63.8% to 36.2%, according to Socis.
Fedorov’s removal provoked protests in Kiev and other cities, with demonstrators demanding his reinstatement. The former minister, who has declined all other positions offered to him, said he will not challenge Zelensky politically as long as the conflict with Russia continues.
The Ukrainian leader reportedly removed Fedorov over fears that he could become a political rival, and also due to his close ties to Western-backed anti-corruption bodies in the country.
The study by Socis was carried out between July 28 and August 2, involving 2,000 respondents.
In an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera in March, Zelensky said Ukraine will “certainly” hold a presidential election, but only after the conflict with Russia ends. “I’m not at all sure that I’ll run, I’ll see what the Ukrainians want,” he claimed.
Moscow has described Zelensky as illegitimate, with his dubious status potentially being an obstacle to signing a peace agreement.
