Zelensky, a 'dictator' or popular war president? Ukrainian Prez tells Trump elections impossible during war — but could he win if held?

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday (Aug 18) said he would be open to holding elections once the war with Russia ends and conditions allow for a fair vote. Speaking during a meeting with US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office, Zelensky explained that elections during wartime are impossible under martial law. "We need to work in parliament because during the war you can't have elections," he said, stressing the need for people to have a democratic, open, and legal election once peace returns. For now, elections remain frozen. The question is: if they were held, could Zelensky win?

Can Zelensky win if elections were held in Ukraine today?

In February of this year (2025) Trump infamously gave Zelensky a harsh public dressing-down in February, which as per a March poll may actually have boosted the Ukrainian president at home.

The Ipsos poll of 1,000 Ukrainians, conducted for The Economist, shows his approval rating at over 70 per cent - a number Trump would kill for. According to the latest Ipsos/Reuters poll, his approval ratings stand at 40 per cent, almost half of Zelensky's.

The ratings came at a time when, for weeks, Trump's allies such as Vice President J.D. Vance, Donald Trump Jr. and Elon Musk accused him of acting like a dictator by suspending elections. Trump himself had dismissed him as a "comedian" with "very low ratings."

But the poll shows otherwise. Roughly 72 per cent of Ukrainians approve of his leadership, compared to Trump’s 40 per cent at home. Eight in ten still saw him as Ukraine's legitimate president, and a large majority opposed holding elections while the fighting continues. Roughly the same number - seven in ten - still trusted him to lead negotiations. And if a vote were held now, Zelensky would win handily, with former top general Valery Zaluzhny trailing far behind, suggested the poll.

The survey was taken just after Washington temporarily pulled both military aid and intelligence support in response to Trump's row with Zelensky—steps that have since been reversed. Despite the setback, Ukrainians remained defiant. At the time, around 74 per cent said that they want to keep fighting even without US help. Most (59 per cent) believed Ukraine can still win on the battlefield.