Kathrine Frich
Vladimir Putin has cultivated the image of an unshakable strongman, projecting authority and control over Russia’s political system.
The Kremlin has long relied on this perception of stability to reinforce his leadership at home.
But after years of war and mounting internal pressures, that carefully built image is beginning to show signs of strain.
Falling support
According to a public opinion survey by the state-run pollster VTsIOM, only 32.1% of respondents named Vladimir Putin when asked which politicians they trust to solve important state issues.
In this type of open-ended question, respondents were allowed to mention any number of political figures.
The figure marks a sharp drop from March 2024, when the same indicator reached 48.8%. Since then, trust in Putin in this category has declined by roughly one and a half times.
Different picture
A separate closed survey by VTsIOM produced significantly higher trust levels.
In that poll, where respondents evaluated politicians from a predefined list, 77.5% said they trust Putin, combining the answers “I trust unconditionally” and “I rather trust.”
By comparison, the same indicator stood at 80.9% in late December 2025, while 17.8% of respondents in February said they do not trust the Russian president.
Other politicians
The poll also measured trust in other Russian political figures.
Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin ranked second with 57.2% trust.
He was followed by Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, with 41%.
Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov recorded 32.3%, while Sergei Mironov of the Just Russia party reached 29.7%.
Liberal Democratic Party leader Leonid Slutsky received 22.4%, and New People faction head Alexei Nechaev recorded 8.3%.
Changing mood
Public interest in Putin also appears to be declining online.
Statistics from Russian-language Wikipedia show that in 2025 the president’s page received about 3.7 million views, down from 6.07 million the previous year.
According to the data, the page of rapper Pasha Technic (Pavel Ivleev), who died from an overdose, drew roughly 60,000 more views than Putin’s article.
Analysts have linked shifting public sentiment in 2025 to several domestic issues, including sharp increases in utility tariffs, widespread internet disruptions and fading expectations of a negotiated settlement with Ukraine.
Sources: VTsIOM, Public Opinion Foundation, Digi24
