According to the results of the March survey “General Situation in Ukraine. Barometer, March 2025”, Ukrainians trust three people the most: Valeriy Zaluzhnyi (62%), Volodymyr Zelenskyi (50.5%), and Kyrylo Budanov (46.2%).
The Poshtary analytical team analyzed this situation and found that the head of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine could play a decisive role in the upcoming presidential race.
Political scientists note that in times of war, public trust is concentrated around the military leadership. At the same time, Budanov’s unique position makes him a potentially influential player.
“Kyrylo Budanov remains somewhat in the shadows, with indicators close to the other two leaders of trust. He is also quite public, and has even better electoral positions, if only because it will be difficult to blame him for miscalculations and defeats at the front, unlike Zaluzhnyi,” political analyst Oleksandr Kochetkov writes on his page.
According to experts, amid the fierce competition between Zelenskyy and Zaluzhnyy, Budanov’s position could be decisive. “Budanov has much greater opportunities to enter top politics on his own and to block with some political figures and political forces,” – Kochetkov said.
It is worth noting that the politicians of the “old formation” demonstrate record low levels of trust: the overall level of distrust in Yulia Tymoshenko is 81.6%, and in Petro Poroshenko – 76.7%.
Source: Business Capital
