Photo: Reuters
Incumbent President Volodymyr Zelenskyy came in first in a hypothetical first round with 21%. Second place went to Valery Zaluzhny, former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and current Ukrainian Ambassador to the United Kingdom, with 18%. Kirill Budanov, head of the Office of the President, received 8%.
The Economist does not specify who conducted the poll, when exactly it took place, or how the question was phrased. The survey was conducted before Fedorov’s public appeal calling for a way to hold elections amid the ongoing war.
Another SOCIS poll, conducted in late July and early August, also placed Fedorov in third place. Thirteen point one percent of respondents were ready to vote for him, compared to 22.3% for Zelenskyy and 21.4% for Zaluzhnyy. The results of these surveys cannot be directly compared due to differences in timing and methodology.
Back in June, Fedorov did not appear in such rankings. According to closed-door surveys cited by “Ukrainska Pravda” in July, among those who had made up their minds, about 33% of respondents supported Zelenskyy, about 22% supported Zaluzhnyy, and Budanova—nearly 14%.
In July, Zelenskyy dismissed Fedorov from his post as defense minister. Following this, rallies in his support took place in several Ukrainian cities.
On August 18, Fedorov called on the authorities to find a “legitimate, safe, and realistic mechanism” for resuming a full-fledged democratic process even during the war. The Office of the President called holding elections amid rocket and drone attacks unrealistic. Elections are not held in Ukraine while martial law is in effect.
