Survey: Nearly Half of Ukrainians Want New Leaders After the War, Beyond Zelensky and Poroshenko

Almost half of Ukrainians would prefer to see new leaders take charge of the country’s post-war politics, according to a new survey conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) between 19 September and 5 October. The poll reveals that 45% of respondents would not like either President Volodymyr Zelensky or former President Petro Poroshenko to remain in politics after the war ends.

Another 46% expressed mixed views; they support the continued political involvement of one leader but not the other. Among them, 32% said they would like Zelensky to stay while Poroshenko should leave politics, and 14% said the opposite. Only 9% of respondents said they would want both Zelensky and Poroshenko to remain active in political life.

The sociological study also explored public attitudes toward possible criminal proceedings against the two politicians. A total of 32% of Ukrainians supported the idea of prosecuting one or both men, with 5% favouring legal action against both, while 27% wanted prosecution against only one of them. At the same time, 68% of respondents opposed criminal cases against either Zelensky or Poroshenko.

KIIS Executive Director Anton Hrushetskyi commented that the findings indicate a clear public expectation for political renewal once the war is over. He noted that Ukrainians seem to want new figures to emerge rather than simply allowing the current political opposition to replace the government. “Many citizens want both Zelensky, who represents the current administration, and Poroshenko, the face of the parliamentary opposition, to step aside and make space for new leadership,” he said.

Hrushetskyi also underlined that Ukrainians’ views on their leaders leaving politics are largely moderate. According to him, the prevailing sentiment is that prominent political figures should be allowed to withdraw from public life peacefully and dedicate themselves to charity, international causes, or family matters, rather than face harsh public punishment. “Relatively few Ukrainians demand retribution. This is a very civilised approach, one that aligns with the goal of building a democratic, European Ukraine,” he added.

The KIIS survey was conducted through telephone interviews based on a random sample of mobile phone numbers covering all government-controlled regions of Ukraine. A total of 1,008 adults aged 18 and over took part. The statistical margin of error, with a 0.95 confidence level and a design effect of 1.3, does not exceed 4.1% for indicators close to 50%, 3.5% for those near 25%, 2.5% for around 10%, and 1.8% for values near 5%. The institute noted that it had added several of its own questions regarding public trust in President Zelensky and citizens’ perceptions of the future political roles of both Zelensky and Poroshenko after the war.