Zelensky More Liked in the U.S. Than Biden or Trump: Poll

A poll released Wednesday from The Economist/YouGov found 50 percent of American adults have a favorable view of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The same survey found that only 42 percent of Americans viewed both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump favorably.

The Ukrainian leader also had a lower percentage of people saying they viewed him unfavorably (24 percent) than Biden (55 percent) or Trump (54 percent).

The poll comes as analysts, as well as elected officials from both Kyiv and the United States, have warned about a growing fatigue among the American public for the war in Ukraine. The amount of aid being provided to Zelensky for his forces to defend the country from invading Russians has also emerged as a major political talking point in Congress, and a growing number of conservative lawmakers are opposed to giving Kyiv more support.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, left, is shown on September 28, 2023, in Kyiv, Ukraine, while U.S. President Joe Biden, right, is pictured in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, D.C., on October 11, 2023. A new poll found more Americans have a favorable view of Zelensky than Biden.
Yan Dobronosov/BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/Global Images Ukraine/AFP/Getty Images

The Economist/YouGov poll shows that 40 percent of Americans feel the U.S. “has a responsibility to do something” about the fighting between Ukraine and Russia, while an almost equal amount, 38 percent, said the U.S. does not have a responsibility to intervene in the conflict.

Even though Americans are divided about U.S. involvement in the war, most still have an overall positive view of Ukraine. Seventy-two percent of the poll respondents said they see Ukraine as an ally or a friend of the U.S., compared to 13 percent who called Ukraine unfriendly or an enemy.

Russia, on the other hand, is seen in a much more negative light by Americans. Only 6 percent of poll respondents said they view Russia as a friend or ally, and 84 percent said they considered the country to be unfriendly or an enemy.

Russian President Vladimir Putin also faired poorly in the poll. While 9 percent said they have a “very or somewhat favorable” view of him, 80 percent said they had unfavorable views of the Russian strongman.

More Americans in the survey said the U.S. has a responsibility to “do something” in the Israel-Hamas conflict than the amount of respondents who said the same in regards to Ukraine. Forty-seven percent said the U.S. should be involved in the Israel-Hamas conflict, while 31 percent said the U.S. does not have a responsibility to act.

The survey also indicated Americans are concerned about an escalation. Fifty-nine percent said the Israel-Hamas conflict is “very” or “somewhat likely” to lead to a wider war involving other countries. Eight percent said that it has already happened.

The Economist/YouGov poll of 1,500 U.S. adults was conducted from October 21 to October 24. The margin of error was ± 3.1 percent.