J. Scott Applewhite /Pool/AFP via Getty Images Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1100076/volodymyr-zelensky-s-approval-rating-ukraine/. Olga Rudenko (@olya_rudenko) is the chief editor of The Kyiv Independent, a Ukrainian news site. . Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy (also transliterated as Zelensky or Zelenskiy; born 25 January 1978) is a Ukrainian politician and former comedian and actor who has served as the sixth and current president of Ukraine since 2019.. Born to a Ukrainian Jewish family, Zelenskyy grew up as a native Russian speaker in Kryvyi Rih, a major city of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast in central Ukraine. He is visibly irritated by traditional journalists: In November, this fractious approach led to unseemly confrontations at a news conference. who seek to honor former Nazi collaborationists, through statues, marches and other tributes. Why did people vote for him so overwhelmingly? Two years after the war, his son was born. He is visibly irritated by traditional journalists: In. His hastily assembled team quickly fell apart, and yesterdays allies turned into some of his harshest critics. International Republican Institute. (JTA) Four years ago, Volodymyr Zelensky was an actor on the humorous Ukrainian TV show Servant of the People, starring as an unlikely president of the Eastern European country. I'm about to lace up skates, and we'll tell you why. Sign up for JTAs Around the World newsletter. So KELLY: I ask his thoughts about Zelenskyy, and Max says he likes him. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has turned around his domestic political fortunes with his leadership over the past few weeks, earning the support of an overwhelming majority of the country . (Presidency of Ukraine/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images). his pre-World War II stints as French prime minister. Zelenskyy and the German . By YURAS KARMANAU February 13, 2022. The Comedian-Turned-President Is Seriously in Over His Head, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/21/opinion/ukraine-russia-zelensky-putin.html. And in the show, this video goes viral. The question of loyalty, she said, gets asked of leaders who are assigned or marked as belonging to a group that is somehow not quite the center of whatever the country is.. Moscow has denied any plans to invade Ukraine but has demand sweeping security guarantees from the West, including a promise that Kyiv can never join NATO. However, I spoke with Oleksiy Haran, who runs a think tank here. Sign up to receive information regarding NS events, subscription offers & product updates. Its not just the media Mr. Zelensky struggles to work with. The results of such polls are displayed in this article. Wed like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. volodymyr zelensky; vladimir putin; More + Comments Leave a Comment. But in times of national emergency, true leaders rise to the occasion. KELLY: So we keep talking about Zelenskyy. They've still got a Christmas market up. During the 2019 Ukrainian presidential election candidate (and latter winner of the election) Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that he was running for only one term. The ideal entry-level account for individual users. His approval rating is in the low 40s. Your conscience has been heard, and its been heard loudly, he said. Scandals and tolerance for corruption have chipped away at Mr. Zelenskys popularity. January 25, 1978 - Born in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine. UNIDENTIFIED INTERPRETER: When he was becoming president, he said, I will stop the war. Ukraines next parliamentary election will be held in 2023 and all opinion polls show that the ruling pro-presidential Servant of the People party may lose control of parliament. And that Jewish identity has been repeatedly seized on by enemies and rivals, and celebrated by Jewish supporters around the world. A Jew and a native Russian speaker, Volodymyr Oleksandrovich Zelensky was born on January 25th, 1978. First, President Volodymyr Zelensky commands a 94% approval rating. [Graph], International Republican Institute, August 11, 2022. Opinion: Nuclear Energy Security: Sleep Walking into the Next Energy Crisis? I clomp over to the rink - kids, parents spinning, circling, wiping out. This might be the last time you see me alive, he reportedly told European Union leaders on a call about steps the bloc was considering to try to stop Russias advances throughout Ukraine. Despite early signs of progress, the newly elected President delivered no real reforms, and failed to handle relations with local leaders amid the global coronavirus pandemic. Here are some tips. Emmanuel Macron is right to want to return African art to Africa, The rise of Elly Schlein, the new left-wing leader of the Italian Democrats, Universal Credit falls short of covering the bare essentials. Zelensky. Zelensky's brave response has made me reconsider. But this understandable effort to project calm and steady skittish markets was undermined by his showy style. Americans are more divided over Biden's handling of international affairs, with 48% saying they have confidence in this area and 52% having either not too much or none at all. Zelensky's approval rating falls below 50%. The very next day, he claimed Russia might invade Kharkiv, Ukraines second-largest city. Joe Biden approval: Volodymyr Zelensky is currently the world's most iconic leader . Before running for president, Zelensky was a comedian. Zelensky won the election in a landslide. "Do you approve or disapprove of the actions of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky?." Others said he was an oligarch puppet. By the numbers: Zelensky has a 72% positive confidence rating, with Americans voicing "some or a lot" of confidence in the Ukrainian President. (2022). Show publisher information Furthermore, questions about his Jewishness have exploded into the international consciousness: Has his Jewish background put him or his fellow Ukrainian Jews in more danger? By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. And it's low, but, you know, just like that skater you met today, people don't really see an alternative. I mean, he is Ukrainian in all of his heart, but hes also Jewish.. She has previously attained a BA degree in International Relations from Sofia University St. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". No wonder 53 percent of Ukrainians think Mr. Zelensky wont be able to defend the country if there is an invasion. And his party - get this - is called Servant of the People. His approval rating, despite starting at a high of 55 percent in January 2021, spent the year in freefall. On March 31, 2019, Zelensky won over 30 percent of the vote in the first round of the presidential election, and Poroshenko finished a distant second with 16 percent. When Mr. Zelensky took power in Ukraine in 2019, converting his TV fame into a stellar political career, no one knew what to expect. That. That topic is acutely relevant in Ukraine, a post-Soviet republic with a large population of hypernationalists. He's young - 44 years old - Ukraine's first Jewish president. Forty years later, his grandson became president. A highlights reel of a 28-year-old Zelensky twisting and dipping in a series of outlandish outfits, including a pink . By Charlie Smith 05:51, Fri, May 13 . In the summer, it's a playground. I'm now getting lapped by 5-year-olds (laughter). She has worked on a diverse set of topics from the prevention of religion-motivated violence in Bangladesh, during the 64th International Student Conference in Tokyo, Japan to bilateral and multilateral relations in South-Eastern Europe during her internship at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria. It may have proven too difficult to pull off after winning the 2019 election with over 70% of the vote, his approval rating had plummeted to close to 30%. 9. But the presidents performance strained, awkward, often inappropriate is hardly helping. The date range for these polls are from the 2019 Ukrainian presidential election to the present day. ESTRIN: Well, if you look at this poll from last week, over half of Ukrainians polled think Zelenskyy would not be able to protect Ukraine in case of a full-scale Russian invasion. Throughout 2020 his approval rating steadily fell. Zelensky struggled as president, facing intense criticism, making major gaffes, and watching his approval ratings plummet. Directly accessible data for 170 industries from 50 countries and over 1 million facts: Get quick analyses with our professional research service. Facebook: quarterly number of MAU (monthly active users) worldwide 2008-2022, Quarterly smartphone market share worldwide by vendor 2009-2022, Number of apps available in leading app stores Q3 2022, Profit from additional features with an Employee Account. But then he did just that. The claim: '15-minute city' planned in Ottawa will confine residents. Within that group, 33% have the highest level of confidence in Zelenskyy's leadership abilities. Snow is pelting down. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. But now the threat is total: Up to 190,000 Russian troops have amassed near Ukraines borders and in separatist regions, and an invasion, bringing devastation and disaster, could come at any time. And given his nonpolitical roots, one of the unlikeliest. This is a striking turnaround for a leader who was previously seen as inexperienced and ineffective. With more than 70 percent approval, . Volodymyr Zelensky has become a hit across the world . KYIV, Ukraine (AP) As a political novice making an unlikely run to be Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed to reach out to Russia-backed rebels in the east who were fighting Ukrainian forces and make strides toward resolving the . And 70% of the vote - those are not numbers to sniff at. He even had this campaign video where he asked people for ideas. VASYLCHUK: In my childhood in St. Petersburg. has quickly become one of the most consequential and prominent Jewish world leaders in recent decades. who have a 91 per cent approval rating for Zelensky - want to be "liberated" by Russia. Continue reading your article witha WSJ subscription, Already a member? "For instance, about two-thirds of Democrats voice confidence in Macron and Scholz, while only about four-in-ten Republicans say they have confidence in each European leader.". In the process, Mr. Zelensky has turned into a version of the politician he campaigned against: insular, closed off, surrounded by yes men. We know he was on the phone today with President Biden. Boris Johnson was a close second on 90%, while US. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. His new ministers are also rumored to have ties with former Ukrainian President Yanukovych, whose decision to suspend implementation of the association agreement between Ukraine and the EU led to the 2013-2014 Euromaidan revolution, and Viktor Medvedchuk, the leader of the pro-Russian Opposition Platform-for Life (OPFL). In a tone-deaf address in January, for example, a patronizing Mr. Zelensky effectively mocked Ukrainians for their proneness to panic and laughed off a possible invasion. In 2019, several Ukrainian Jews told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that they were proud to see their country after its history of anti-Jewish pogroms and Soviet-era persecution elect a Jewish president. Get full access to all features within our Business Solutions. Strategic objectives are sacrificed for short-term benefits. And yet, he says, everyone realizes that Russia wants to take advantage of Zelenskyy's lower approval ratings right now to weaken him with this threat of an invasion. So first he promised to fight corruption, which is really rampant in Ukraine. His harshest critics claimed that Mr. Zelensky, a Russian-speaking man born in eastern Ukraine, would all but sell the country off to Russia. This story originally appeared in the Morning Edition live blog. UNIDENTIFIED INTERPRETER: If the person was born to be a politician, yeah, it's OK. A former actor used to the sound of applause, Mr. Zelensky is notoriously thin-skinned when it comes to criticism and challenging questions. Zelensky has not elaborated on the details of his Jewish upbringing, or his religiosity, but he also hasnt shied away from expressing an occasional message of Jewish pride and a strong sense of solidarity with Israel. The sentiment is shared nearly equally by Democrats and Republicans, even though Republicans have been much more likely to express confidence in Putin's leadership in recent years. ", International Republican Institute, Do you approve or disapprove of the actions of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky? A weekly newsletter helping you fit together the pieces of the global economic slowdown. Photo: J. Scott Applewhite-Pool/Getty Images. We've been told that because of the location, this is a place where Zelenskyy supporters like to come skate. Even the presidents beautiful newly built roads are mired in controversy. Halfway through his presidential term, the popularity of Volodymyr Zelenskyy has substantially declined as, having won 70 per cent of the vote when elected, he now only commands 25 per cent support at the ballot box. Well, I met someone in the street the other day who seemed to sum up why people are critical of him. Positioning himself as the antithesis of Poroshenko, Zelensky ran in the presidential election as a populist politician who defends the interests of the people against the ruling class. She recalled Henry Kissinger, President Richard Nixons secretary of state, who faced pressure from some Republicans who wondered if he could be impartial during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, and from some American Jews who feared Kissinger was distancing himself from Israel because of those pressures. KELLY: We don't have another one, she says. He came under pressure for essentially not showing the right kind of reverence or respect for Israel that I think some members of the Jewish community wanted him to, Berman said. Furthermore, although he did not achieve a breakthrough in negotiations with Russia during the 2019 Normandy Summit, President Zelensky succeeded in securing a large prisoner exchange with the Kremlin, as well as another ceasefire agreement. This fear from local Jews has persisted into the early days of the Russian invasion. The comic-turned-president surely never imagined the job would be quite so intense. "Ugh a sign at a construction site in downtown Ottawa," reads the tweet's caption. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set In, International Republican Institute. In 2019, a TV star rails against corruption, runs for president, and he wins. How President Zelensky's approval ratings have surged More than 90 per cent of Ukrainians approve of their leader, compared with just 31 per cent before the Russian invasion. . KELLY: She tells me that when he became president in 2019, that is when the skating rink was built. More than 90 per cent of Ukrainians have thrown their support behind their president, Volodymyr Zelensky, as the country continues to resist Russias invasion, according to a new national poll conducted by the Ratings Sociological Group. Notably, Servant of the People won only in two major cities and lost in the Presidents hometown. And why is, After high school, Zelensky earned a scholarship to study in Israel on the strength of his English scores but turned it down because his father did not want him to go, according to. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. He started brightly. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has seen his approval rating skyrocket amid the invasion from Russia. More recently, a top lawmaker was caught on camera drunkenly offering a bribe to a police officer at the site of a car crash he might have caused. By the time Zelensky joined the Servant of the People series in 2015, he was one of Ukraines most famous pop culture figures. That's the name of his TV show - so fictional president becomes real president. We are here. By the numbers: Zelensky has a 72% positive confidence rating, with Americans voicing "some or a lot" of confidence in the Ukrainian President. Zelensky subsequently struck a more assertive tone in pushing for membership of the European Union and the NATO . to find a solution to the long-running conflict in the east of the country had only limited success, and last year his approval rating fell . The churn eventually stopped, but at a cost. MAX VASYLCHUK: I mean, in my childhood, I was a hockey player. The Power of Values: An Interview With an Obama Foreign Policy Speechwriter, Opinion: A Review of Bill Haytons latest book, Invention of China. Today, though, as of last week, a poll shows that 30% only support this president. Support 100 years of independent journalism. The latest. . We are defending Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/bgHyrsbVFs, Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) February 25, 2022. The understanding that social networks are not propaganda tools but a tool for direct communication has given Zelensky a 90% approval rating. There are vocal opposition parties here. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. We are defending Ukraine, Zelensky said. Volodymyr Zelenskyy was elected President of Ukraine on April 21, 2019. Amid the crisis with Russia, some Ukrainians say their president has come up short. Email. But if it did come to that, does he trust Zelenskyy to defend Ukraine? Zelensky was born in a Russian-speaking area of eastern Ukraine to Jewish parents, a mother who was an engineer and a father who is a computer scientist. The current conflict is more than one country taking over another; it is in the words of one U.S. official a shift in "the world order. Zelensky is followed by French President Emmanuel Macron (55%), German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (53%), President Biden (48%) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (15%). He appointed the head of his own television production studio to be the head of the Ukrainian version of the FBI. Two days after the invasion began, he personally thanked the thousands of Russian anti-war protesters who defied their authorities and took to the streets. Chart. WASHINGTON ( The Borowitz Report )In a development that could upend American politics, Volodymyr Zelensky has emerged as the front-runner in the 2024 U.S. Presidential contest . Statista. But Ukrainians have little confidence that Zelenskyy can ensure that stability. KYIV, Ukraine Its not hard to guess what President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine must be craving right now: one normal day. Zelensky has toed a line between projecting a strong patriotic front against Russia, and working to delicately stand up to the nationalists who seek to honor former Nazi collaborationists, through statues, marches and other tributes. This time last year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the idea Russia would invade. Many experts thought Kyiv would fall in 24 hours but four days later the battle continues.. our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. That's been happening in Ukraine for years. Overall, 91% of respondents approve of. Not only did the President lose the popularity test to local strongmen, but he also failed to handle tensions between the central government and local government officials. He appointed Andriy Yermak as head of the Presidential Administration, who has alleged connections to Russia. There are faint divides along partisan lines, with Democrats and Democrat-leaners slightly more likely than Republicans and Republican-leaners to have confidence in Zelenskyy (80% vs. 67%). But despite such dwindling numbers, he remains the most popular Ukrainian politician with support across Ukraine and a strong chance of re-election. So he says right now, a lot of critics of Zelenskyy are saying with Russian troops at the borders, it's not the right time to call for Zelenskyy to resign. KELLY: NPR's Daniel Estrin, so glad you were here helping to tell this story. Thanks to an unprecedented effort from the International Republican Institute to conduct a nationwide poll of Ukraine during a time of war, we now know what its people think about the conflict, their leadership and the future of their country. So did Leon Blum, who faced antisemitic animus in. 1997-2003 - Actor, performer, script writer, producer of the stand-up comedy contest team . Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his advisers have been arguing in recent days that they don't want to cede any territory to Russia in the . This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. The approval ratings of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has fallen down amid conflict with Russia. Furthermore, questions about his Jewishness have exploded into the international consciousness: Has his Jewish background put him or his fellow Ukrainian Jews in more danger? The Ukrainians surprised us all. Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that these funds are extremely important, as they allow us to cover the unfunded part of the state budget and support the segments of the population that need it most. While Bondarenko received the support of his regional counterparts, Zelensky gave the impression of disregarding local government authority, which has been strengthening since decentralisation reforms began in 2014. By Afiq Fitri The Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky visits the front-line positions of the Ukrainian military in Donbas, Ukraine on 6 December 2021. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses the U.S. Congress on March 16, 2022, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC. When .css-1h1us5y-StyledLink{color:var(--interactive-text-color);-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.css-1h1us5y-StyledLink:hover{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine, nearly every international observer expected a Russian victory within days or at most a few weeks. He gets more than 70% of the vote. Published Feb. 3, 2020. A former movie producer and longtime friend was made chief of staff, joining other friends and confidants of Mr. Zelensky in wielding outsize power. Any decisive move against Russia, on the other hand, risks giving the Kremlin a pretext for a deadly invasion. Corruption just doesnt seem to worry Mr. Zelensky much at least when those implicated are close to him. COVID-19 deaths worldwide as of February 28, 2023, by country and territory, COVID-19 cases worldwide as of February 28, 2023, by country or territory, Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases, recoveries, and deaths worldwide as of Feb. 28, 2023, Cumulative cases of COVID-19 worldwide from Jan. 22, 2020 to Feb. 26, 2023, by day. 2000 - Graduated from Kyiv National Economic University, with a law degree. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. After his nearly three years in office, its clear what the problem is: Mr. Zelenskys tendency to treat everything like a show. She is 41-year-old Ina Kulig (ph). The biggest controversy, however, was his firing of prosecutor general Ruslan Ryaboshapka, favoured by Western countries because of his anti-corruption efforts and drive for reform. And so that's the TV show, and then it happens in real life. ESTRIN: He says in this video, who likes it when the president appoints his best man or his friend from the army? 33% of the 72% expressed a lot of confidence in Zelensky. That said, he seems to have embraced his new role without hesitation. Ukraines Zelensky posts a new video of himself and his team outside the presidential administration in Kyivs government quarter after rumors in Russian media that hed fled. Accessed March 04, 2023. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1100076/volodymyr-zelensky-s-approval-rating-ukraine/. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". VASYLCHUK: Because of he's young, new minds, new thinking, new - everything new. Instead, he studied law. The poll found 24 percent of <30 adults saying they don't know about Zelensky vs. 9 percent of seniors; still, 23 percent of those under 30 rated Zelensky unfavorably vs. 9 percent of seniors.. He has. We are here. A noteworthy feature of the elections was Ukraines well-functioning democracy, as local incumbents secured their posts and only a few won their mandates without run-offs. Pew notes that this is a downturn since the start of his term, when that number was closer to 6 in 10 American adults. The current war is not Zelenskys first experience as the center of international attention not long after being elected, he found himself ensnared, Russian Vladimir Putin suggesting that he is a Nazi, in former President Donald Trumps first impeachment scandal, Feds arrest Michigan man who plotted to kill Jewish elected officials in the state, American citizen killed in latest West Bank shooting amid escalating violence. they were proud to see their country after its history of anti-Jewish pogroms and Soviet-era persecution elect a Jewish president. He has been the president for two - more than two years right now. Zelenskys ambitions appear to be colliding with his populist rhetoric, while his willingness to succumb to pressure from oligarchs is gradually losing him the trust of Ukrainians and the West. INA KULIG: (Non-English language spoken). The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". his domestic approval rating was 31%, an anemic figure but by . And the heroic figure at the center of this war is none other than Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Its a gravely serious situation. ESTRIN: When he was running for president, he said he would fight nepotism. Interestingly, Volodymyr Zelensky has an unconventional background he wasn't familiar with the world of politics before he was elected the president of Ukraine in 2019. This would complicate Zelenskyys ambitions for another term in 2024, so the political landscape could change drastically. Now it is 91 per cent. ESTRIN: Yeah. As the West pursued megaphone diplomacy to discourage an invasion, Mr. Zelensky tried to downplay the threat. A political novice who unexpectedly came to power with a landslide victory in the 2019 presidential election, Zelensky vowed to ensure economic prosperity, anti-corruption reforms and a quick resolution to the war in Donbass. Kesselman's confidence in Zelensky, Ukraine's first Jewish president, is both widely shared the president enjoys a record approval rating of about 70 percent and unusual for this . Ukraine president's ratings fall as crisis with Russia brews. 10: Around the Cabinet in 49 Days, Enduring Denialism: A Threat to Sustainable Peace in Colombia. 'I promise, I will never let you down' Zelensky declined to debate Poroshenko until two days before the second round of polling would begin, and that meeting had all the trappings of a sporting event. On Friday, he was equally blunt about his situation as Russian troops attacked the capital Kyiv: the the enemy has identified me as the No. Thats become ever clearer in recent weeks. The United States War Against Russian Disinformation: Is the GEC Fit for Purpose? Learn more about how Statista can support your business. Currently, you are using a shared account. Illustration by Joo Fazenda. March 5, 2022. Furthermore, issues of ideological clarity, lack of reform progress and internal fragmentation have seriously damaged Servant of the Peoples political position. India Dot Com Private Limited. That needs to change, The autonomous future is nearly here with Wejo, The need to grow Londons EV infrastructure at speed and scale, Covid cases in China are surging once more, The UK now spends more on housing benefit than on most government departments, The UK has one of the lowest rates of asylum applications in Europe, Energy bills could rise to 4,347 from April.