Budanov has nearly caught up with Zaluzhnyi in Ukrainians’ level of trust, a KIIS poll shows

The Head of the President’s Office, Kyrylo Budanov, has significantly narrowed the gap with former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi in the public trust rating.

This is indicated by the results of a January poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS).

Thus, 70% of Ukrainians trust Budanov, and 72% trust Zaluzhnyi, while the trust–distrust balance for both is +51%.

Sociologists note that in previous waves of research the gap between the trust indicators was more noticeable.

Now Budanov has not only maintained a high level of trust, but has also approached outright leadership, despite the change in his public status and the move from the military sphere to the political-administrative role of head of the President’s Office.

Usually this position quickly lowers personal ratings, however, in Budanov’s case there is a positive trend.

KIIS notes that leaders of the security and defense sector top the trust rankings and significantly outpace civilian politicians.

According to sociologists, this reflects society’s demand for leaders who proved themselves during the full-scale war.

The poll was conducted from January 9 to 14, 2026 using telephone interviews (CATI).

It involved 601 respondents from government-controlled territories of Ukraine.

The formal statistical margin of error does not exceed 5.3%.

Compared with December 2025, after his appointment to the position of head of the President’s Office, the level of trust in Budanov shows a positive trend, underscoring the strengthening of his authority among citizens.