Ukraine Political, Social and Religious Landscape
What Ukrainians Think: Political, Social and Religious Landscape
In November 2025, the international research company Ipsos, commissioned by the Détente Center for Peace and Freedom, conducted a large-scale representative survey to examine political and religious attitudes, social expectations, and levels of institutional trust among Ukrainians. The study included 2,000 respondents in government-controlled territories of Ukraine.
Key findings:
1. Pessimism about country direction. Nearly half of respondents (47%) believe the country is moving in the wrong direction. Only 24% are optimistic.
2. Corruption is the top concern. Corruption ranks first among factors negatively affecting the situation in the country (81%), ahead of shelling (63%), mobilization (52%), and poverty (48%).
3. Military institutions lead in trust. The highest trust levels belong to military institutions: Army (81%), Defense Intelligence (63%), Security Service (54%). Meanwhile, Parliament (16%), Government (19%), and President's Office (26%) have the lowest trust levels.
4. Presidential expectations: security, peace, fight corruption. Three key priorities: defense/security (64%), ending the war/peace (51%), fighting corruption (49%). 84% expect the elected candidate to end the war.
5. Hypothetical presidential race: Zaluzhnyi leads. Valerii Zaluzhnyi leads the ratings (23%), followed by Volodymyr Zelenskyy (20%), Petro Poroshenko (9%), and Kyrylo Budanov (7%). Notably, 27% categorically refuse to vote for Zelenskyy, 37% for Poroshenko.
6. High voting intention. 77% of Ukrainians plan to participate in presidential elections, 70% in parliamentary elections.
7. Two media worlds. Telegram (62%) and television (49%) are the main news sources, but no platform has a trust level above 40%.
About the Study
The study was conducted by Ipsos, commissioned by the Détente Center (November 2025). Methodology: mixed-mode (CAPI and CATI), n=2,000 respondents aged 18+ in government-controlled territories of Ukraine. Margin of error: ±2.2% at 95% confidence level.
