KIIS regularly conducts surveys for NDI (National Democratic Institute). Below is a publication prepared by NDI. You could also find it at the NDI’s website: https://ndi.org/our-stories/...

Four years into Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukrainians’ commitment to democracy remains unwavering — despite extraordinary personal loss, economic hardship, and profound uncertainty.

Since 2015, the National Democratic Institute (NDI) has conducted nationwide polling on Ukrainian’s views towards their democratic trajectory, the geopolitical climate, and their hopes for the future. The March 2026 survey presented here is the twenty-fourth in that series and the ninth since the full-scale invasion began.

The findings show that Ukrainians are not only defending their territory — they are defending the democratic future they envision for their country. At the same time, the findings reveal an important tension: while citizens overwhelmingly believe in democracy as the right path for Ukraine, they are unsatisfied with many of their own democratic institutions as the country navigates one of the most challenging periods in its history. 

Ukrainian Democratic Values and the Cost of War

Russia’s full-scale invasion has affected nearly every Ukrainian family. Eighty-five percent of respondents reported losing a family member or friend since February 2022. Nearly two-thirds said their physical health has deteriorated, the same rate reported their mental health has deteriorated, and a similar proportion reported that their income had reduced.

Yet these immense war-related impacts have not weakened Ukrainians’ democratic aspirations. Eighty-two percent said it is important to them that Ukraine remains a democratic country, demonstrating that democracy continues to serve as the foundation of how Ukrainians envision their nation’s future.

Despite the hardships they continue to endure, Ukrainians also remain hopeful. Fifty-nine percent said they were generally either “very optimistic” or “more optimistic than pessimistic” about Ukraine's future. Together, these findings suggest a society determined not only to survive the war, but to emerge from it as a free, independent, and democratic nation. 

Broad Nationwide Unity Co-Exists with Rising Social Tensions

The survey also illustrates that real divisions and severe challenges also co-exist with this unity described above. The devastating reality of the wartime context is having significant impacts on social cohesion.

When asked to reflect on a list of potential perceived tensions within their own communities, only 22 percent report noticing no such tensions. The most frequently identified divisions were between people with different political views (38 percent), between ordinary citizens and those in positions of power (36 percent), and between Ukrainian speakers and Russian speakers (31 percent).

Every society experiences tensions, especially in a prolonged wartime environment, and Ukraine is no exception. The survey suggests that maintaining public confidence will depend not only on military resilience but also on democratic institutions’ ability to remain responsive and representative under extraordinary circumstances, including martial law, the suspension of elections, and centralization of power.

Public opinion reflects this complexity. While Ukrainians remain deeply committed to democracy, the survey also found that strong public support for democratic values coexists with growing expectations of democratic governance.

Institutions most closely associated with Ukraine’s defense — the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — have maintained high levels of trust throughout all nine waves of NDI’s political survey post full-scale invasion. Trust in the president currently stands at 45 percent, 28 points higher than the last survey conducted before the full-scale invasion, while only 10 percent of respondents say they do not trust him at all.

At the same time, the survey points to an important challenge for Ukraine’s democratic development. Despite the relatively positive views towards institutions most associated with the war effort and democracy being a clear shared values system, society remains dissatisfied with how institutions are performing. Only 20 percent of Ukrainians reported being very satisfied or rather satisfied with the way democracy is working in Ukraine, and only 18 percent feel that “people like [them]” can influence political decisions in Ukraine. These findings do not suggest a rejection of democracy. Rather, they reflect citizens’ desire for democratic institutions that are more responsive and accountable, even as the country continues to navigate the extraordinary challenges of wartime governance. 
 

Trust toward Institutions: Historical

Public attitudes toward the preferred timing of elections show a nuanced public view, with only 13 percent saying elections should be held “now, regardless of the intensity of military operations.” All three formulations describing elections being held only after a peace agreement received more support than this option, with six months after the peace agreement being the most popular (27 percent). 

Preferred Timing of Elections in Wartime

Main Public Priorities and the End of the War

Ukrainian society finds itself wrestling with many complex and sometimes competing concerns. While negotiations and the end of the war emerged as the main public priority, concerns for peace, security, justice, anti-corruption reform, and socio-economic stability clearly co-exist. Additionally, the prioritization of peace should not be misconstrued as “peace at any cost.”

Respondents consistently rejected proposals that would compromise Ukraine’s sovereignty or democratic future. For example, only seven percent said granting official status to the Russian language would be fully acceptable, while 54 percent said it would be fully unacceptable. Similarly, only four percent fully agreed that Crimea and parts of the Donbas should be internationally recognized as Russian territory, while 55 percent completely rejected it. The levels of total rejection (“fully unacceptable” and “unacceptable” only) have remained remarkably consistent since August 2025.

The survey suggests that Ukrainians view negotiations as a pragmatic means of limiting further human suffering, not as a willingness to abandon the principles that they have defended since independence. Their responses consistently point toward the same aspiration: a peace that preserves Ukraine’s sovereignty, protects its citizens, and safeguards the country’s democratic future.

The Most Important National Issues

(Un)Acceptability of Russia’s Conditions as the “Price for Peace”: Historical

The full survey can be found here.

Since 2015, NDI has conducted nationwide polling to better understand Ukrainian’s views on their democratic trajectory, the geopolitical climate, and their hopes for the future. The March 2026 polling presented below is the twenty-fourth iteration of this survey, and the ninth since Russia launched its full-scale invasion. Before publication, NDI shared these results with representatives of the Ukrainian government, political parties, and civil society, and will continue to integrate research findings into engagement with Ukrainian partners.

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The National Democratic Institute adheres to the core principles of respondent data protection as outlined in the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) during the conduct of sociological research. Analytical conclusions and interpretations by third parties may not reflect the position of NDI.