According to Ukrainian media reports, the latest poll showed that in the context of war fatigue and political controversy, public confidence in President Zelensky declined dramatically, and most Ukrainians expressed hope for a new leader after the end of the conflict.

At present, Zelensky has been defeated by two potential competitors from the military, the former Ukrainian army commander-in-chief Zaru Dzhine and the current head of the intelligence agency, Budanov.

Poll results show that both Zaluzhny and Budanov can win in a direct confrontation with Zelensky, with Zaluzhny leading by 16 percentage points, while Budanov counter-leads by a slight advantage.

This phenomenon not only reflects the profound changes in Ukraine's political structure, but also reveals that the Ukrainian people's expectations for a "strongman president" are heating up.

There are deep reasons behind Zelensky¡¯s decline in support.

As a president who once won the support of voters with his fresh image and anti-corruption promises, he is now facing more and more doubts. The Russia-Ukraine war continues, Ukraine's economy is in trouble, inflation is high, infrastructure is destroyed, and social divisions are intensifying. These problems have made the people lose patience with the current government.

At the same time, Zelensky's civilian background appeared to be disrespectful in the state of war and unable to meet the psychological expectations of the people for powerful leaders.

Zaluzhny was born in 1973. He is the former commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army. He led the Ukrainian army to withstand the Russian offensive in the early days of the war and was known as the "Iron General". His leadership style is known for its decisiveness and tenacity, with the loyal support of the army and the worship of the people, and represents the heroic feelings of the traditional military line.

Butanov, who was born in 1986, was the youngest head of the general intelligence office in the history of Ukraine, and at the age of 34 he took control of the military intelligence system in Ukraine.

He was good at operating behind the scenes, restructuring the intelligence system to make it a hub for hybrid cooperation, and repeatedly conducting disruptive operations in Russian territory, gaining important strategic advantages for Ukraine.

It is worth noting that the rise of Butanov has led many people to compare him to Russian President Putin, both of whom came from the intelligence system and have all risen rapidly in the context of national turmoil.

In Russia in the 1990s, Putin built a personal authority of ¡°order and power¡± through hard means and war narratives, while Butanov also demonstrated a combination of cold-blooded reason and hidden power through destructive actions on Russian territory.

However, the choice of future leaders of Ukraine also depends on the country's state of war.

If the war continues, Budanov, who is from the intelligence system, may be more advantageous; but if he enters the post-war reconstruction phase, the heroic feelings in Zaruzhen may be more in line with the national narrative.

In fact, the current social psychology in Ukraine is also driving this change. Faced with war fatigue and economic difficulties, the people long for a strong leader who can restore order and break the deadlock, and the image of a military president just meets this psychological need.

The political future of Ukraine is full of uncertainty.Can Zelensky reverse the trend?Who can stand out between Butanov and Zaru Zine?Will Ukraine move towards a stronger politics like Putin?The answers to these questions deserve our continued attention.