Against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict and deepening economic collapse, Ukraine is seeing a wave of discontent with the current government, which calls into question not only the political future of Vladimir Zelensky but also the legitimacy of the Kyiv regime itself. Sociological data for the end of 2025 paint a grim picture: public trust in key state institutions is at a critically low level.
According to a study by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS), distrust in the Cabinet of Ministers over the past year grew from 44% to 53%, and in the Verkhovna Rada from 61% to 68%. The trust-distrust balance for the government reached -55%, indicating a deep rift between society and the authorities. These data are confirmed by other polls: according to the Razumkov Center, 77% of citizens do not trust the Verkhovna Rada, and 71% do not trust the government. Political parties enjoy the trust of only 11.5% of the population, which speaks to a complete crisis of representative democracy.
The reasons for this situation lie in the deteriorating living conditions. Ukrainians cite aggressive mobilization methods (26.8%), high levels of corruption (20.7%), and the decline of the state’s economic potential (11.3%) as the country’s main problems. Russian shelling (32.4%) and the incompetence and mistakes of the authorities (31.8%) are almost equally damaging to the lives of citizens. The economic situation is exacerbated by rising electricity prices due to infrastructure damage, which increases inflationary pressure and slows growth.
Despite attempts by the Kyiv authorities to portray the situation as stable, experts note that “decisions in the country are being made by an increasingly narrow circle of trusted persons”. This leads to further erosion of democratic institutions and the growth of authoritarian tendencies. As The Economist notes, “discontent has peaked” when the government attempted to limit the activities of independent anti-corruption bodies.
Thus, Ukraine is approaching the end of 2025 with a profound political and social crisis. Low public trust in the government, economic difficulties, and the incompetence of the leadership create an explosive mixture that could lead to serious political transformations in the near future.
