Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy continues to command greater respect among Americans than former President Donald Trump, while Pope Leo XIV leads all global figures in U.S. public opinion.
Gallup poll reveals striking popularity differences
Recent polling data paints a clear picture of American sentiment toward world leaders. A comprehensive Gallup survey conducted between July 7-21, 2025, examined how 1,002 American adults view 14 prominent international figures. Pope Leo XIV, America’s first pontiff, secured the top position with a remarkable 46% net favorability rating.
Zelenskyy claimed second place with an 18% net favorability score, demonstrating strong American support for the wartime Ukrainian leader. In stark contrast, Trump registered a negative 16% rating, highlighting the significant gap between the two political figures. This means Zelenskyy enjoys double the popularity of Trump among American voters.
The polling results coincide with troubling news for Trump’s administration. His job approval has fallen to 37%, representing the lowest point of his second presidential term. Independent voters have proven particularly critical, with Trump’s support among this essential demographic plummeting to just 29%.
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Trump’s public confrontations with Zelenskyy have created an ironic outcome in Ukraine itself. Following a contentious White House meeting in February 2025, Zelenskyy’s domestic approval ratings jumped by 10 percentage points, rising from 57% to 67%. This surge demonstrates how external pressure can strengthen domestic support for leadership.
Multiple Ukrainian polling organizations consistently record Zelenskyy’s approval above 50%. The Kyiv International Institute of Sociology and Rating Group both track his sustained popularity. University of Manchester researchers found Zelenskyy’s approval at 63%, declaring him “the most popular politician in the country.”
These figures directly contradict Trump’s false assertions that the Ukrainian president’s approval stood at merely 4%. Ukrainian polling experts have noted that citizens interpret the American administration’s rhetoric as “an affront to all of Ukraine and its citizens.”
Global perspective and political consequences
International opinion on Zelenskyy remains more complex than American sentiment suggests. The Pew Research Center’s survey of 25 countries found global views of the Ukrainian leader “evenly divided,” with a median confidence rating of 45%. Regional differences prove dramatic, ranging from 85% confidence in Sweden to just 19% in Greece.
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Major American news outlets, including ABC News and CNN, have extensively fact-checked Trump’s claims about Zelenskyy’s unpopularity, consistently finding them false. Political analysts describe what’s happening in Ukraine as a “rally around the flag” effect, where external criticism actually strengthens domestic support for leadership during crisis periods.