Donald Trump was found to be the 10th most-trusted foreign leader in Ukraine, enjoying a trust rating of 44.6%, a recent poll has found.
This makes Ukraine the most Trump-positive nation in Europe. The controversial American president-elect has a lower trust rating even in Orban’s Hungary, where is trusted by 37.1% of the population. His rating stands at 16% in France and 30% in the UK.
In Western Europe, anti-Trump sentiments are especially common. For instance, in Germany, only 15% of the population expressed confidence in Trump, compared to 63% for President Joe Biden—a difference of nearly 50 percentage points, a Pew Research poll from June 2024 found.
The findings of the poll conducted by the New Europe Center could be surprising, considering Trump’s harsh rhetoric towards Ukraine, threats to cut Ukraine aid, and plans for striking a “deal” with Russia.
However, it becomes less mysterious when considering the plummeting popularity of US President Joe Biden, whose approval rate among Ukrainians has dropped from 81.8% to 55.2%, and the overall declining trust in Western leadership.
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“The high Trump result is a consequence of the ‘as long as it takes,’ escalation management approach. Ukrainians see it doesn’t work. It represents a high level of disappointment with the Biden administration. We know that Trump will be more decisive; there’s a hope for other policies and a quicker end to the war,” co-founder of the International Center for Ukrainian Victory Olena Halushka explains.
Biden’s administration was criticized in Ukraine for delaying critical military aid deliveries to Ukraine and dithering on the country’s much-sought invitation to NATO. In the words of New Europe Center director Alyona Getmanchuk, Biden was killing Ukraine softly; his policies led to Ukraine’s slow, suffocating defeat.
Whether Trump will make better decisions for Ukraine is yet unknown. His first meeting with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy was cautiously optimistic, and prior to his electoral victory, Ukrainian experts expressed hope that he would be angered by Russia’s unwillingness to strike his envisioned deal to quickly end the war, and go full-in on helping Ukraine.
However, it remains to be seen whether this is wishful thinking, and in a year, Ukrainians will be similarly disenchanted about the man who made “America first” his main electoral promise.
- Read more about the poll: Nuclear weapons better than NATO, Ukrainians now think: poll reveals dramatic shift
- More on Ukraine’s strategy towards Trump: Biden was “killing Ukraine softly.” Trump won’t wait