Even Zelenskyy’s supporters consider sanctions against Poroshenko to be political pressure, according to sociologists.

Sanctions against Poroshenko are an attempt to divert attention from the difficult situation on the front lines and to put pressure on the opposition ahead of the elections – this is the view of 60% of Ukrainians.

According to a KIIS poll, since May the number of those who do not believe in fair sanctions against the fifth President has increased by 4% (from 56% to 60%).

The option “an attempt to divert attention from the difficult situation at the front” was chosen by 35%, while the option “an attempt to neutralize the opposition ahead of negotiations with Russia and possible elections” was chosen by 34% of all respondents.

Only a third (33%) believe these sanctions are an attempt by law enforcement agencies to genuinely punish the perpetrators (up from 34% in May 2025). The remaining 11% were undecided.

Even among those who trust President Zelenskyy, the majority of respondents are skeptical about sanctions against Poroshenko. Forty-five percent chose either “an attempt to distract attention from the difficult situation on the frontline” or “an attempt to neutralize the opposition ahead of negotiations with Russia and likely elections.” Forty-three percent of those who trust Zelenskyy believe this is an attempt by law enforcement agencies to punish those responsible.

Among those who do not trust the President, 79% chose either the option “an attempt to distract attention from the difficult situation at the front” or the option “an attempt to neutralize the opposition on the eve of negotiations with Russia and the likely elections” (versus 15% who believe this is an attempt by law enforcement agencies to punish the guilty).

Moreover, more than half of Ukrainians believe that cases of political persecution of the opposition are widespread.

Sociologists note that on September 9, 2025, the European Parliament approved a resolution that, among other things, called on the Ukrainian authorities not to resort to politically motivated persecution of the opposition.

51% of Ukrainians believe that political persecution of the opposition is fairly or very common (of which 20% consider such cases very common, and 31% consider them fairly common).

37% believe such cases are uncommon or practically nonexistent. The remaining 11% found it difficult to answer the question.

Among those who distrust President Zelenskyy, 70% believe politically motivated persecution of the opposition is common (43% of whom believe it is very common). Meanwhile, among those who trust the President, a significant number (37%) also believe it is common.

KIIS Executive Director Grushetskyi recalls that, according to a May 2024 poll conducted for the US National Democratic Institute (NDI), 93% of respondents responded that Ukraine should be a fully functioning democracy.

“One of the most important aspects of democracy is the presence of an opposition that can operate freely, including participating in competitive elections. Therefore, preventing politically motivated persecution of opposition representatives is a prerequisite for Ukraine’s further development. Beyond democratic development, constructive interaction between the government and the opposition is essential for achieving success in war and against the Russian enemy (who readily exploits any tension in society, for example, between the government and the opposition, to “promote” division).

The survey was conducted from September 19 to 28, 2025, using telephone interviews in all regions of Ukraine. A total of 1,029 respondents were interviewed. The survey was conducted with adult (18 years of age and older) Ukrainian citizens who, at the time of the survey, were residing in government-controlled territory. The margin of error for this sample did not exceed 4.1%.