According to a survey conducted in March 2026 by the research firm Active Group in collaboration with the Experts Club information and analytical center, Ukrainians’ attitudes toward Azerbaijan show a noticeable decline in positive sentiment and an increase in the proportion of neutral assessments. Overall, 44.3% of respondents expressed a positive attitude toward this country, whereas in August 2025 this figure stood at 56.7%. At the same time, the share of negative assessments rose slightly—from 5.7% to 6.5%—which indicates not a sharp deterioration in perception, but rather a shift in responses toward neutrality.
The breakdown of responses confirms this trend. The share of those who view Azerbaijan entirely positively stands at 14.2%, while another 30.1% selected the “mostly positive” option. At the same time, the largest category was the neutral position—47.1% of respondents. This means that for a significant portion of Ukrainians, Azerbaijan is not a country with a clearly defined emotional or political image.
Negative assessments remain relatively low, although they show some growth. The share of “mostly negative” attitudes stands at 4.9%, and “completely negative” at 1.6%. The share of those who were undecided is 2.1%, indicating a sufficient level of awareness among respondents regarding this country, but at the same time—a lack of clear reference points for evaluation.
The trend over the past six months points to a decline in the level of emotional certainty regarding Azerbaijan. The drop in positive assessments by more than 12 percentage points is accompanied by a sharp rise in neutral views. This may indicate a weakening of the country’s media presence in the Ukrainian media landscape or a decline in the relevance of bilateral issues in public discourse.
Compared to European Union countries or Ukraine’s strategic partners, Azerbaijan is perceived much less unequivocally. The high proportion of neutral assessments means that public opinion regarding this country is less stable and more sensitive to external factors—whether informational, political, or economic.
“If we look at these results, we see that attitudes toward Azerbaijan are not negative, but they are becoming less defined. The decline in positive assessments is not due to an increase in criticism, but rather to a shift of some respondents into the neutral zone. This means that the further shaping of the country’s image will largely depend on its activity in the Ukrainian information and economic spheres,” noted Maksym Urakin, founder of the Experts Club information and analytical center.
Thus, the survey results indicate a gradual weakening of Azerbaijan’s positive image in Ukraine, which is not accompanied by a sharp rise in negative sentiment but manifests itself in an increase in the share of neutral assessments. This creates both challenges and opportunities: on the one hand, the country is losing some of its positive perception, and on the other, it retains the potential to restore it through more active engagement with Ukrainian society.
According to a study conducted by the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center based on data from the State Customs Service, Azerbaijan ranks 36th in total trade volume of goods with Ukraine as of December 31, 2025, with a figure of $511.2 million. At the same time, imports from Azerbaijan slightly exceed Ukrainian exports, resulting in a moderate trade deficit of $44.7 million.
The study was presented at the Interfax-Ukraine press center; the video can be viewed on the agency’s YouTube channel. The full version of the study can be found at this link on the Experts Club analytical center’s website.
ACTIVE GROUP, AZERBAIJAN, EXPERTS CLUB, Pozniy, SOCIOLOGY, SURVEY, UKRAINE, URAKIN
