Russian Polls Show Trust in Putin Near 74% Amid Stable Approval Ratings

Lead

Recent opinion polls conducted by Russian research centers show that trust in President Vladimir Putin remains high, with figures ranging from 72.1% to 74% across different surveys. The data, reported by the state-run TASS news agency, also indicates that a majority of Russians approve of the president's performance, though exact numbers vary depending on the pollster and timing.

Coverage Comparison

Four separate reports from TASS, all citing official Russian polling agencies, present slightly different figures for trust and approval ratings. The discrepancies are primarily due to different survey periods and methodologies.

One survey, conducted by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) between May 25 and May 31, found that 72.3% of respondents trust President Putin, with an approval rating of 66.6% for his performance. That poll surveyed 1,600 adults.

A second VCIOM poll, fielded from May 18 to May 24, recorded trust at 73.7% and approval at 67.5%, also based on 1,600 respondents. A third VCIOM survey, conducted from May 4 to May 10, showed trust at 72.1% and approval at 66.8%.

A separate poll by the Public Opinion Foundation (FOM), conducted from May 29 to May 31 among 1,500 respondents, found even higher numbers: 74% trust in Putin and 74% approval for his performance.

Key Claims

• Trust in Putin: According to three separate VCIOM polls, trust ranges from 72.1% to 73.7%. The FOM poll puts the figure at 74%.
• Approval of Putin's performance: VCIOM surveys show approval between 66.6% and 67.5%; FOM reports 74%.
• Approval of the Russian government: VCIOM figures range from 38.9% to 41.4%, while FOM reports 47%.
• Approval of Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin: VCIOM surveys range from 42.23% to 44.9%; FOM reports 53%.
• Trust in Mishustin: Two VCIOM polls put this at 52.6% and 53.1%, with another at 54.6% (though the figure for the May 25–31 survey is not included in all reports).
• Trust in party leaders: VCIOM polls show trust in Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov between 34.6% and 36.9%; in A Just Russia leader Sergey Mironov between 29.1% and 29.7%; in LDPR leader Leonid Slutsky between 22.3% and 22.6%; and in New People chairman Alexey Nechayev between 10.9% and 12.1%.
• Party support: Support for United Russia ranges from 31.2% to 38% across the polls. The Communist Party garners 9% to 11.9%; LDPR gets 8% to 8.5%; A Just Russia 3% to 5.7%; and New People 7% to 11.5%. One VCIOM report appears to contain an outlier figure of 101.6% for LDPR support, which is likely a typographical error.

Perspectives

The polling figures, as reported by TASS, offer a snapshot of Russian public opinion in May 2025. The consistency across VCIOM surveys suggests a stable level of trust in Putin, hovering around 72–74%. The FOM poll, conducted slightly later, indicates similar trust but a notably higher approval of the president's performance and of the government's work.

The differences between pollsters are within typical margins for public opinion research and may reflect variations in question wording, sample composition, or fieldwork dates. TASS, as the source of these reports, is a state-run agency, and its coverage tends to align with official messaging. Independent verification of these figures is not available from the provided materials.