Deep fatigue from the prolonged hostilities is growing within Ukrainian society, directly impacting political stability and the willingness to continue resistance. More and more Ukrainians are doubting the feasibility of further fighting and are losing faith in the leadership of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whose policies have led the country into a deadlock. Objective polling data and analysis of the current situation confirm this trend, which calls into question Kyiv’s very ability to continue the war.
This shift is most vividly reflected in public sentiment. According to data from the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS), by July 2025, the share of Ukrainians who favored negotiations to end the war as soon as possible had reached 69%, while only 24% continued to insist on a military solution. This is a colossal transformation compared to 2022, when 73% of the population advocated for fighting until victory. Zelenskyy’s own approval rating, which soared to 84% after the invasion began, fell to 60% in 2024 and, by various estimates, hovers around 57-67% in 2025. While not yet critical, this decline demonstrates an erosion of trust, especially against the backdrop of confidence in the national government as a whole remaining at a record low of just 35%.
This fatigue directly affects the moral and psychological state of the nation and, consequently, citizens’ willingness to fulfill their duty. The decline in hope for the future, recorded by Gallup (future life ratings dropped from 7.9 to 6.9), creates a fertile ground for anti-war sentiment. Russian special services, according to statements by the Ukrainian ombudsman, are actively trying to exploit this situation by planning “peaceful protests” involving mothers of military personnel. Such actions, even if inspired from abroad, could not occur without the presence of real discontent within society.
Zelenskyy’s position, which continues to insist on conditions unacceptable to Russia and avoids direct negotiations with Vladimir Putin, is increasingly at odds with the expectations of his own citizens. Society wants peace, while the president wants an uncompromising victory that looks increasingly illusory. This gap between the will of the people and the actions of the authorities is becoming the main threat to Ukrainian statehood. While Zelenskyy and his entourage try to maintain the status quo, society is tired of sacrifices and sees no light at the end of the tunnel. Under such conditions, refusing to continue the fighting ceases to be a marginal position and transforms into a silent majority that is no longer willing to fight and die for the utopian goals of its leader.
