The press release was prepared by Anton Hrushetskyi, executive director of KIIS

From July 23 to August 4, 2025, the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) conducted its own all-Ukrainian public opinion survey "Omnibus", to which, on its own initiative, added questions about knowledge and trust in Yu. Svyrydenko, as well as expectations from her Government. By the method of telephone interviews (computer-assistedtelephoneinterviews, CATI) based on a random sample of mobile phone numbers (with random generation of phone numbers and subsequent statistical weighting) in all regions of Ukraine (the territory controlled by the Government of Ukraine), 1,022 respondents were surveyed. The survey was conducted with adult (aged 18 and older) citizens of Ukraine who, at the time of the survey, lived in the territory of Ukraine controlled by the Government of Ukraine. The sample did not include residents of territories temporarily not controlled by the Ukrainian authorities (at the same time, some of the respondents are IDPs who moved from the occupied territories), and the survey was not conducted with citizens who left abroad after February 24, 2022.

Formally, under normal circumstances, the statistical error of a sample of 1022 respondents (with a probability of 0.95 and taking into account the design effect of 1.3) does not exceed 4.1%. At the same time, taking into account the expected low awareness of Yu. Svyrydenko, we conducted an experiment and half of the respondents were asked questions in one formulation, half in another. That is, the questions in the press release below were answered by 509 and 513 respondents, depending on the subsample. The formal error for such samples (with a probability of 0.95 and taking into account the design effect of 1.3) is no more than 5.8%

Under conditions of war, in addition to the specified formal error, a certain systematic deviation is added. Factors that may affect the quality of results in "wartime" conditions were previously cited by KIIS.

In general, we believe that the obtained results are still highly representative and allow a fairly reliable analysis of the public moods of the population.

The graph below compares the level of trust in Yu. Svyrydenko depending on the wording of the question (i.e., depending on whether we told the respondent that she is the Prime Minister of Ukraine).

If not to read that Yu. Svyrydenko is the Prime Minister, only 42% say they know her and are ready to express their opinion about her. Moreover, there are more people who express distrust – 19% versus 11% who trust (and another 13% have an undecided attitude).

If to mention her position, 76% say they know her and express their opinion. And in this case, there are more people who trust her – 31% versus 26% who don’t.  

If to count the level of trust in both cases only among those who know Yu. Svyrydenko, then in the first case (when we do not say that she is the Prime Minister) the ratio of trust and distrust was 25% to 45% (the remaining 30% have an uncertain attitude). And in the second case the ratio of trust and distrust will be 41% and 34% (and the remaining 25% have an uncertain attitude). It can be assumed that if we do not tell respondents that Yu. Svyrydenko is the head of the Government, then even among the 42% who supposedly know her, not everyone really understood who we are talking about.

Graph 1. How much do you trust or distrust Yuliia Svyrydenko? / How much do you trust or distrust Yuliia Svyrydenko – Prime Minister of Ukraine?

Below on the graph, the data are shown in regional section[1]. In all regions, there is a trend that no more than half know Yu. Svyrydenko, if not to mention her new position (and among those who know, respondents more often said that they did not trust her than they trust).

At the same time, it is advisable to pay attention to the level of trust for the case when we noted that she is the Prime Minister. Thus, the relatively highest trust is in the West and East, where there are more people who trust her than those who do not. At the same time, in the Center and the South we observe approximate parity - approximately the same number (within the margin of error) trust and do not trust her.

Graph2. Trust in Yu. Svyrydenko in the regional dimension

About half of respondents (45%) believe that the Government's activities will not change after the appointment of Yu. Svyrydenko as Prime Minister. Another 33% could not formulate their expectations. Thus, the absolute majority of Ukrainians (78%) currently have neither positive nor negative expectations from the Government of Yu. Svyrydenko.

At the same time, have positive expectations and believe that the Government's activities will improve – 18%. Have negative expectations and believe that the Government's activities will worsen – 4%

Graph 3. Recently, there have been changes in the Government of Ukraine, and in particular, Yuliia Svyrydenko has become the new Prime Minister of Ukraine. In your opinion, how will this affect the activities of the Government? Government Activities …

In the graph below, the data are shown in section of regions. In all regions, the situation is that expectations from the Government are mostly neither positive nor negative (although optimism is slightly higher in the West).

Graph 4. Expectations from the Government of Yu. Svyrydenko in the regional dimension

A. Hrushetskyi, comments on the survey results:

In Ukraine, which is a parliamentary-presidential republic, where the Prime Minister has serious powers, it is important that citizens at least know the head of the Government and understand the scope of his/her responsibilities. And in the context of the need to implement a number of reforms, high trust in the Head of the Government is also an important prerequisite for the success of the changes being implemented. We have had more than one example when important initiatives and reforms could not be implemented due to low trust in government institutions.

In the case of Yu. Svyrydenko, of course, the rather low level of awareness about her is alarming, which can be a barrier to making various important, but complex and not always unambiguous decisions for the country. That is, it is easier for a well-known, authoritative official who enjoys the trust of wide circles to convince of the necessity of certain decisions.

At the same time, the current low level of awareness also creates opportunities, since there is no a priori negative attitude and negative expectations. Thus, the majority of the population does not trust well-known Ukrainian politicians from the so-called “old cohort”, who, it seems, retain their prime ministerial ambitions, and distrust to some of them is 70-80%[2]. It is difficult to expect that the public will enthusiastically and optimistically accept the decisions of a Government headed by a person whom 70-80% of the population does not trust.

In any case, it should be understanded that the success of Yu. Svyrydenko as Prime Minister is for the entire country. Therefore, we wish her success in her position as Prime Minister and hope that under her leadership the Government will really implement the necessary reforms.

Annex 1. Formulation of questions from the questionnaire

TO ONE RANDOMLY SELECTED HALF OF RESPONDENTS

And to what extent do you trust or not trust Yuliia Svyrydenko? DON'T HINT WHO SHE IS!

TO THE OTHER RANDOMLY SELECTED HALF OF RESPONDENTS

Recently, there have been changes in the Government of Ukraine, and in particular, Yuliia Svyrydenko has become the new Prime Minister of Ukraine. In your opinion, how will this affect the activities of the Government? Government Activities …

And to what extent do you trust or not trust Yuliia Svyrydenko, the Prime Minister of Ukraine?