As the war in Ukraine continues, trust in the Russian leader is falling around the world, but there are also mixed views about President Vlodymyr Zelensky
Deutsche Welle
Published: July 12, 2023 8:07 PM | Last updated: July 12, 2023 8:07 PM
According to a report released on Monday by the Pew Research Center, the global perception of Russia and its leader, Vladimir Putin, is at an all-time low.
The study, conducted across 24 nations, found that, on average, 82% of respondents say they have little or no confidence in the Russian leader to “do the right thing regarding world affairs.”
Confidence in Putin has hit a record low in nine countries, including Germany, where it fell from 14% in 2022 to 8% in 2023.
However, confidence in Putin has reached record highs in India and Indonesia. The share of Indians who express confidence in the Russian president has risen 17 percentage points since Pew first asked the question in 2019. This share is up 7 points in Indonesia, from 36% in 2019 to 43% in 2023.
After Russia invaded Ukraine, views hit record lows in nearly all surveyed countries, with further declines in 2023, particularly in Germany, Israel, and Spain.
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Pew also surveyed people’s attitudes about Ukrainian President Vlodymyr Zelensky, Nato, and some of the alliance’s leaders.
Mixed views about Zelensky
Views regarding Zelensky are mixed compared with those of Putin.
A median of 51% across 24 countries have at least some confidence in Zelensky to do the right thing regarding world affairs, while 39% say they have little or no confidence in the Ukrainian leader.
In Europe, he’s highly regarded in the Netherlands, Sweden, and the UK, but less so in Greece, Hungary, and Italy.
Confidence in Zelensky varies by ideology. Those on the left trust him more in six countries, including the United States, where three-quarters of the left trust Zelensky compared to half of the right. However, the right shows more confidence in Argentina, Greece, South Korea, and Spain.
What the survey says about Nato and its leaders
Nato, which has supported Ukraine since the February 2022 invasion, is viewed favorably by 11 member states included in the survey.
Pew tested public sentiment on Nato in some of its member countries, Poland, the Netherlands, the UK, Germany, Italy, the US, Canada, France, Hungary, Spain, and Greece.
In those countries, 62% of those polled have a positive view of Nato, while 31% have an unfavorable view of the military alliance.
Researchers also found attitudes in Sweden, which is waiting on Turkey and Hungary’s approval to be accepted fully into the alliance, is among the most positive, with 78% holding a favorable opinion of Nato.
Confidence in world leaders associated with the war in Ukraine
Globally views held about US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz are more favorable than those about Putin.
Across the 24 countries surveyed in the spring, 54% of people expressed confidence in Biden’s ability to handle world affairs. Macron and Scholz were close behind with confidence ratings of 50% and 49%, respectively.
Confidence in Macron has fallen significantly over the past year in a handful of Nato countries.
For example, confidence in Macron has fallen 16 percentage points in Canada, from 66% in 2022 to 50% in 2023.
