The head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, has risen to the top tier of public trust leaders.
According to a survey conducted by the Ukrainian Center for Social and Market Research (SOCIS) from March 12 to 18, involving 1,204 respondents, the biggest surprise was that Budanov's level of public trust has now nearly caught up with that of Zaluzhnyi.
First, rankings of pure public trust among prominent figures:
- Zaluzhnyi: 61.6%
- Budanov: 60.3%
- Zelenskyy: 46.3%
- Poroshenko: 19.8%
Budanov was appointed Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine on January 2, 2026, after serving as Director of the Main Directorate of Intelligence. In just three months since taking office, his public trust has consistently risen.
Second, in terms of potential presidential candidate support rates, Zelenskyy still leads, followed closely by Zaluzhnyi.
Presidential election potential support rate (percentage among all respondents / percentage among confirmed voters):
- Zelenskyy: 22.6% / 29.3%
- Zaluzhnyi: 19.3% / 25.0%
- Budanov: 10.5% / 13.7%
Third, in a second-choice voting survey, Budanov leads with a score of 22.7%.
This indicates that if the leading political candidate withdraws from the presidential race, Budanov would absorb the largest share of displaced votes.
Fourth, hypothetical parliamentary party support rates in the Verkhovna Rada (all respondents / confirmed voters):
1. Zaluzhnyi’s Party: 14.5% / 21.0%
2. Budanov’s Party: 10.6% / 15.3%
3. Kym-Terekhov United Party: 9.4% / 13.7%
4. Servant of the People (current ruling party): 7.9% / 11.5%
5. European Solidarity (Poroshenko faction): 6.2% / 8.9%
Micro-commentary
1. Reversal in trust dynamics: Military leadership figures from the Ukrainian armed forces are now far outpacing politicians in popularity; Budanov and Zaluzhnyi lead Zelenskyy by a significant margin in public trust;
2. Extremely strong upward momentum: Budanov has seen a dramatic surge in public approval within just three months of assuming office, emerging as a rising star and unexpected core figure in Ukrainian politics;
3. Major advantage as backup candidate: He is currently the top substitute choice in the political arena, offering the highest tolerance for error or withdrawal;
4. Reshaping of the parliamentary landscape: The ruling Servant of the People party continues to struggle with low support; if Budanov and Zaluzhnyi form new parties, they will likely rise dramatically, while traditional established parties face decline.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1863261469140992/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.