He has been called a dictator and an unpopular leader by Donald Trump. But Volodymyr Zelenskyy still retains the support of a vast majority of Ukrainians. And, in fact, his backing seems to have swelled in his homeland, despite a turbulent few weeks.
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Zelenskyy vs Trump: How did we get here?
In a strong pivot away from the previously-held US position on Ukraine, the Trump Administration has begun withdrawing military and financial backings for the war-torn nation, in what it claims is an attempt to ‘force both sides’ into negotiations.
Despite this policy position, the US appear to be treating Ukraine with much more hostility than the aggressors of Russia. It was Vladimir Putin who rolled his tanks over the border back in 2022, plunging the European nation into a defence crisis.
US accused of ‘switching sides’ in Russia-Ukraine conflict
Fearless Ukrainian resistance, and support from western blocs including the EU, the UK, and North America have helped Zelenskyy and his forces battle on an even playing field. However, the heel-turn from Trump and his colleagues has changed the landscape.
In unfortunate scenes broadcast across the world last week, Trump and Zelenskyy – alongside JD Vance – ended up in something of a shouting match, with the US leaders accusing their Ukrainian counterparts of being ‘ungrateful for the support’.
Since the start of last month, Trump has levelled unsavoury rhetoric towards Zelenskyy. He also claimed that he has an approval rating of just 4% in Ukraine. Those claims, however, have been comprehensively debunked.
How popular is Zelenskyy in Ukraine? New opinion poll shows surge in support
A poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS), released earlier this week showed that 67% of respondents trusted Volodymyr Zelenskiy in March, up from 57% a month earlier. The data was taken from 14 February to 4 March.
In that time, Trump branded Zelenskyy a dictator, and made numerous unfounded claims about his popularity. Alas, these figures show that support is growing – and not shrinking – for the embattled leader. He also received the full backing of Parliament in February: