He later batted down an evacuation offer from the United States. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Volodymyr Zelensky has become a hit across the world . 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. Around 7 in 10 Americans (72%) have a lot or some confidence in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, higher than any other international leader recorded, a new Pew Research survey found. She has previously attained a BA degree in International Relations from Sofia University St. We keep circling the rink until we come across Max Vasylchuk (ph). In 2019 the Verkhovnaya Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) passed an anti-corruption bill criminalising illegal state official enrichment practices. Today, though, as of last week, a poll shows that 30% only support this president. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky poses for selfies with voters. I buckle up and prepare to skate, something I have not done in quite a while. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. And he had this very successful show on Ukrainian TV, a political sitcom called "Servant Of The People. 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). His approval rating is in the low 40s. The words he uses dont matter, as long as they are entertaining. 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. His opponents said he was so inexperienced, he was bound to be a disaster. The source specified that only Ukrainians living in Ukraine were surveyed. Boris Johnson was a close second on 90%, while US. KYIV, Ukraine Its not hard to guess what President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine must be craving right now: one normal day. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 10: Around the Cabinet in 49 Days, Enduring Denialism: A Threat to Sustainable Peace in Colombia. Directly accessible data for 170 industries from 50 countries and over 1 million facts: Get quick analyses with our professional research service. But Ukrainians have little confidence that Zelenskyy can ensure that stability. 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. 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. Weve had political figures who are deeply aligned with the Jewish community and use that as a jumping off point for political power. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. So, in a way, who. Email. March 5, 2022. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, a comedian who had no experience of politics when elected less than three years ago, has suddenly emerged as a convincing war leader. Profit from the additional features of your individual account. 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. He gets more than 70% of the vote. There are currently nearly 250,000 people in Ukraine's armed forces, which are vastly outnumbered and outgunned by Russia's. The New Statesmans global affairs newsletter, every Monday and Friday. So did Leon Blum, who faced antisemitic animus in his pre-World War II stints as French prime minister, and whose brief term post-war was seen as a step forward for Frances coming to terms with its Nazi collaborationism. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. The procurement process is thought to be rigged and the prices too high. In a bizarre complication to the narrative, Putin has repeatedly said that his military operation is an attempt to de-Nazify Ukraine. That. International Republican Institute. More than 90 per cent of Ukrainians approve of their leader, compared with just 31 per cent before the Russian invasion. Why didnt his obituaries say so? Support 100 years of independent journalism. This story originally appeared in the Morning Edition live blog. We've been told that because of the location, this is a place where Zelenskyy supporters like to come skate. And when the reviews are bad, he stops listening and surrounds himself with fans. If the EU could speak, what would it say? That topic is acutely relevant in Ukraine, a post-Soviet republic with a large population of hypernationalists. The best of the best: the portal for top lists & rankings: Strategy and business building for the data-driven economy: Show sources information The senior researcher at the Museum of the Holocaust in Odessa, a city that was over a third Jewish in the 19th century, told The New York Times he was worried that antisemitism would be unleashed by the chaos of war., In a bizarre complication to the narrative, Putin has repeatedly said that his military operation is, Other historical figures whose Jewishness featured large in their national leadership include Benjamin Disraeli, the 19th-century British prime minister who was faced unrelenting antisemitism. 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. But then he did just that. At that point, Zelensky enjoyed a 70 percent approval rating and Ukraine had the youngest president in its history (41-years-old), the youngest parliament (average age of 41), the youngest prime minister (35) and the youngest cabinet in Europe (average age of 39). My interpreter and I skate up to a mom with a small boy in tow. He has. So that was one promise he didn't keep, and the other promise Zelenskyy made was that he was going to talk with Putin and find a peaceful solution to the Ukrainian territories that Russia exerts control over. So did Leon Blum, who faced antisemitic animus in. Why did people vote for him so overwhelmingly? 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. Olga Rudenko (@olya_rudenko) is the chief editor of The Kyiv Independent, a Ukrainian news site. Zelensky, an entertainer-turned-politician, saw his approval ratings steadily decline since his election in 2019, continuing a string of displeasure with leadership within Ukraine over issues. Russia's goal, he says, is to weaken Ukraine's leadership. Since then, Zelensky has regularly taken to Twitter to address Ukrainians and the rest of the world, reminding everyone of what is at stake through videos and fiery tweets. Has it contributed to the conflict in any way? August 11, 2022. Has it contributed to the conflict in any way? On 20 May, 2019 sworn in as the 6 th President of Ukraine. The ideal entry-level account for individual users. President Zelenskys Servant of the People party suffered significant setbacks in the 2020 Ukrainian local elections, manifesting the decline of Zelenskys popularity and the nations waning trust in the ruling government. Now it is 91 per cent. Another poll released last week showed the president receiving a higher approval rating 47 percent following his first address to the nation, compared to 39 percent in February. A former actor used to the sound of applause, Mr. Zelensky is notoriously thin-skinned when it comes to criticism and challenging questions. By Afiq Fitri The Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky visits the front-line positions of the Ukrainian military in Donbas, Ukraine on 6 December 2021. The television star-turned-wartime president has used social media to boost his country's morale and won standing ovations at virtual addresses to governments around the world. 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. On the one hand, any concession to Russia, particularly over the conflict in eastern Ukraine, would likely bring hundreds of thousands of people to the streets threatening him with the fate of Viktor Yanukovych, the president overthrown by a revolution in 2014. 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. Ms. Rudenko is a Ukrainian journalist and the chief editor of The Kyiv Independent. All rights reserved. Overall, 91% of respondents approve of. . [Graph]. ESTRIN: When he was running for president, he said he would fight nepotism. Currently, you are using a shared account. 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. After his nearly three years in office, its clear what the problem is: Mr. Zelenskys tendency to treat everything like a show. Two years after the war, his son was born. And his party - get this - is called Servant of the People. Since the war began, he has been appealing to world leaders for more support for Ukraine and sanctions on Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks to the U.S. Congress on March 16. The crisis continues. Zelensky and his wife Olena Zelenska at a polling station on election day in Kyiv, May 21, 2019. UNIDENTIFIED INTERPRETER: Zero, zero, zero. 2000 - Graduated from Kyiv National Economic University, with a law degree. https://www.wsj.com/articles/what-ukrainians-think-about-the-war-russia-putin-invasion-zelensky-victory-results-approval-rating-11651868038. Mr. Zelenskys other major project, a campaign he calls deoligarchization thats aimed at capping the influence of the very wealthy, looks more like a P.R. A weekly newsletter helping you fit together the pieces of the global economic slowdown. That's been happening in Ukraine for years. Your conscience has been heard, and its been heard loudly, he said. I mean, it's like his popularity ratings went off the cliff. It is a similar story across the country, as approval ratings for Mr Zelenskyy skyrocket. Use Ask Statista Research Service, Computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI). J. Scott Applewhite /Pool/AFP via Getty Images Zelensky is followed by French President Emmanuel Macron (55%), German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (53%), President Biden (48%) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (15%). Older Americans are much more likely to hold those views than younger generations, as are those with more education (especially postgraduate degrees). Accuracy and availability may vary. President Volodymyr Zelensky listens during a joint press conference with the Lithuanian president (unseen) after talks at the presidential palace in Vilnius, Lithuania on Nov. 27, 2019. Initial indications of progress were overshadowed by Zelenskys decision to replace the reformist ministerial cabinet and other critical state officials with controversial figures in March 2020. He has excelled in the role of warrior-president and won the hearts of the people he was elected to serve. 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. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a former actor-comedian now leading his country's defense against Russian invaders, says he does not shield his children from the horrors of war . DNIPRO, Ukraine When Volodymyr Zelensky, the Jewish comedian recently elected the president of Ukraine, announced that he was running, the chief rabbi for the eastern Ukrainian region where Mr . Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram. The study also found that 71.1% of Ukrainians believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, an increase from the 68.7% in July. Statista. BBC News Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, a comedian who had no experience of politics when elected less than three years ago, has suddenly emerged as a convincing war leader. Driving the news: Zelensky has become a very vocal leader for his country after the latest unprovoked attack by Russia. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1100076/volodymyr-zelensky-s-approval-rating-ukraine/. Volodymyr Zelensky has become the epitome of an unlikely hero . His hastily assembled team quickly fell apart, and yesterdays allies turned into some of his harshest critics. Others said he was an oligarch puppet. Strategic objectives are sacrificed for short-term benefits. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. The war is still going. 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. 33% of the 72% expressed a lot of confidence in Zelensky. I understand. And why is Russian Vladimir Putin suggesting that he is a Nazi? This would complicate Zelenskyys ambitions for another term in 2024, so the political landscape could change drastically. There were constant reshuffles. (August 11, 2022). At the most consequential hour in Europe since the collapse of the Soviet Union, as a vengeful and erratic autocrat invades Ukraine alluding darkly to . In 2019, several Ukrainian Jews told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that. 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. Pew notes that this is a downturn since the start of his term, when that number was closer to 6 in 10 American adults. Early in his tenure, Mr. Zelensky commanded more power than any of his predecessors had. In March 2020, when his chief of staffs brother was caught offering government posts for money, Mr. Zelensky did nothing. But the successes largely stopped there. Of note: Putin not only has the lowest recorded rating on the survey, he has "an all-time low in surveys going back nearly two decades," per Pew. Although Russia has massed tens of thousands of troops near Ukraine's borders, Zelenskiy has repeatedly pushed back against warnings by the United States and other NATO allies that Russia could attack Ukraine at any moment. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has seen his approval rating skyrocket amid the invasion from Russia. Continue reading your article witha WSJ subscription, Already a member? The skating rink admittedly is a little harder to storm. Now, he is at. His fathers father, Semyon, served in the Soviet Red Army during World War II; Semyons father and brothers were all murdered in the Holocaust. But a video of Zelensky and his team defiantly announcing they are staying in Kyiv circulated widely on Friday, as supporters around the world characterized him as a beacon of honor in an age of leaders only interested in preserving their own status. 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. Any decisive move against Russia, on the other hand, risks giving the Kremlin a pretext for a deadly invasion. 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. 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 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. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. 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%. our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Ukraine is one of the few countries that elected a Jewish president, Oksana Markarova, the Ukraine ambassador to the United States, told the National Coalition Supporting Eurasian Jewry in a webinar on Friday. So we're going to see if we can find some. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact