Latest polls show trust in Ukraine's government and general direction fading

The Razumkov Center released on Friday, Feb. 21,
the results of its February polling of Ukrainian political sentiment.
Highlights include a continued drop in trust in the government, which has
roughly halved since Sep. 2019 from 57% to 28% in February. Trust in the
Cabinet of Ministers is particularly low, with only 6% of respondents fully
favoring the activities of Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk and 52% not
supporting him.

The view that the country is able to sort out
its problems in the near future is fading, as only 21% of those polled hold
this opinion compared to 49% of respondents in September. However, the
country’s ability to overcome obstacles in the long term has actually risen, at
49% compared to 50% in December and only 40% in September. That said, 53% of
respondents think that the country is currently headed in the wrong direction
compared to 57% thinking that it was headed in the right direction in
September.

The Razumkov Center notes that political
affiliation is a factor in shaping current views, with 65% of supporters of
President Zelensky’s People’s Servant party still favoring the government’s
actions.

James Hydzik: The changes in views are connected in part to issues
surrounding agricultural land reform and the lack of a wholesale riddance of
corruption. However, the slide in ratings affects the cabinet in particular and
Zelensky has been able to maintain some popularity with his voters. How long
this lasts, with the government’s handling of the coronavirus evacuation and an
uptick in military action both weighing on Ukrainians’ minds.