Zelenskyy rejects Trump's claims on approval ratings and legitimacy
- President Donald Trump claimed that Volodymyr Zelensky has a 4% approval rating during a recent press event.
- Zelensky dismissed Trump's remarks as misinformation, citing a December poll showing 52% favorability.
- The ongoing conflict and context of martial law in Ukraine complicate the political landscape and public perception.
In February 2025, during a press event, President Donald Trump controversially claimed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had an approval rating of just 4%. This assertion came amidst discussions following US and Russian peace talks that notably excluded Ukraine from the negotiations. Trump's comments, made at his Mar-a-Lago resort, implied that Zelensky was maintaining power through undemocratic means under martial law, hence not having held elections. In sharp contrast, a December 2024 poll from the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology indicated that Zelensky enjoyed a favorability rating of 52%, a figure Zelensky referenced to counter Trump's misinformation. Zelensky responded to Trump by labeling his claims as part of a 'disinformation space' and highlighted that the situation in Ukraine is far more complex than Trump suggested. He emphasized the importance of democratic processes and the resilience of Ukraine's armed forces during the ongoing conflict with Russia. Zelensky characterized the suggestion that Ukraine initiated the war as erroneous and indicated that resistance against delegitimizing policies continues among the Ukrainian populace. Furthermore, he highlighted the challenges faced by the country due to the ongoing war and dismissed any notion that he could be easily replaced, asserting that the majority of Ukrainians would oppose concessions to Russia during this turbulent period.