Boris Johnson is Ukrainians’ favourite foreign leader with 90 per cent approval rating, poll shows – only just behind President Zelensky

• Poll shows Boris Johnson, 58, is the second-most popular leader in Ukraine 
• British PM has more than double the popularity of French and German leaders 
• Data also show Russians in strong support of Putin and his invasion 
• However, most Ukrainians are confident they will win the war against Russia 

Boris Johnson is the most popular foreign leader in Ukraine, new polling has revealed.

Data published by Lord Ashcroft polls show the British Prime Minister with a 90% approval rating among Ukrainians – just three points behind war leader President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Boris Johnson’s popularity in Ukraine will come as a welcome respite from a turbulent few weeks in the UK, including a vote on no confidence in which 41% of Conservative MPs voted against him and the loss of two by-elections on June 23.

Mr Johnson’s popularity in Ukraine is almost four times better than his approval rating in his own country, which stood at just 24% in early June – according to a poll by YouGov.

However, Mr Johnson’s decision to throw his support behind President Zelensky and Ukraine since Russia invaded the country in February has made him hugely popular among Ukrainians.

Boris Johnson meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on his second visit to Kyiv in June

Mr Johnson and President Joe Biden were well ahead of their German and French counterparts owing to their support of Ukraine since Russia invaded 

Mr Johnson has proved hugely popular in Ukraine after lending strong support to the country since Russia invaded. President Zelensky (right) described the PM as a ‘great ally’ said he was ‘very happy’ to see him survive his confidence vote in June 

The two leaders lighting candles in St. Mikhailovsky Cathedral in Kyiv during the Prime Minister’s surprise June visit

Ukrainian confidence in defeating Russia has grown far more since the start of the war than Russian belief in victory. However, support for the invasion remains strong in Russia 

The Prime Minister has visited Ukraine twice since the start of the war – in April and June – to meet with the Ukrainian President to pledge support, supplies and weapons as the country continues to fend off Vladimir Putin’s forces in the east of the country.

The two leaders have built a strong relationship since the war began, with President Zelensky saying he was ‘very happy’ that Mr Johnson had survived his confidence vote, adding that he was ‘an important ally.’

Mr Johnson’s pro-active support of Ukraine has gone down well with the Ukrainian people – especially when compared with the less enthusiastic support of German chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron.

President Macron has been criticised for insisting that the West should avoid ‘humiliating’ President Putin over his invasion of Ukraine, while Germany has come under fire for not lending support quickly enough to Ukraine and relying on Russian gas.   

Lord Ashcroft Polls published approval ratings in Ukraine with President Zelensky, unsurprisingly, the most popular with 93% approval.

Boris Johnson was a close second on 90%, while US President Joe Biden was just behind on 89%. Chancellor Scholz and President Macron trailed far behind with just 42% approval among Ukrainians.

Russian support for the invasion remains strong, although it has fallen slightly since the war began 

Polling shows support for Putin’s regime and the invasion has not waned among the Russian people, but most were surprised at Ukraine’s strength in fighting back

Most Russians blamed Ukraine, the US, NATO and EU for the war, though a substantial minority admitted Russia also had responsibility  

The vast majority of Ukrainians want to join NATO, and most say they would feel safer with nuclear weapons, following Putin’s suggestions that he could use nuclear missiles in Europe 

The polling data also showed that Ukrainian resolve in fighting the Russian invasion was solid, with 60% of Ukrainians saying they were more confident of victory than at the start of the war. This compares to just 38% of Russians who say they are more confident than when Putin launched his invasion.

However, the polling also showed the Russian people firmly behind Putin’s autocratic regime – the Russian President enjoys an approval rating of 85%, behind only the Russian military which has 86%.

A clear majority of 57% also said they were surprised at how strong Ukrainian resistance had been – a reflection of the Russian leadership’s assumption the country would be easy to invade. 

Over three quarters of Russians also blamed Ukraine for the war, despite the fact that Russia invaded the country. Most also blamed US, NATO and EU, but a substantial minority (41%) also said Russia had ‘a great deal’ or ‘some’ responsibility. 

Over 80% expressed trust in Russian leadership and said they thought the country would come out of the war stronger. 

Support for the invasion of Ukraine also remains strong. Polls show that 51% of Russians strongly support the so-called ‘special military operation’ – a small drop from 57% in March.

The vast majority of Ukrainians (81%) said they wanted their country to join NATO, and 68% said they would feel safer if they had nuclear weapons.

Source: Read Full Article