Ukrainian citizens demonstrate the highest level of sympathy toward Canada, Great Britain, Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands. These are the results of a study conducted by Active Group in collaboration with the Experts Club think tank and the SunFlower Sociology platform in April 2025. Canada came out on top in terms of positive image: 40.6% of Ukrainians expressed a completely positive attitude, with another 35.7% expressing a mostly positive attitude. The overall positive balance was a record 73.5%.
The United Kingdom ranks second with a total positive rating of 68.6%. Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands are also at the top of the ranking with similarly high levels of positive perception — over 68% of the total positive rating.
France and Germany remain strong, but their positions are less clear-cut. In France, the share of “mostly positive” attitudes is particularly high at 47.7%, although only 26.4% view it as “completely positive.” In Germany, 23.7% of respondents indicated a completely positive attitude, but the level of distrust has increased, with 7.9% of Ukrainians assessing it negatively.
The US elicited a mixed reaction: only 6.7% of Ukrainians rated this country completely positively, while 26.5% expressed a negative attitude. The image balance in the US is one of the lowest among Western partners — only 5.3%. Ukrainians showed a similar level of disappointment with Central European countries: Hungary has the worst image of all, with only 4.1% of completely positive responses and as many as 47.7% negative, giving a net image balance of -43.6%. Slovakia also has a negative rating of -14.8%.
“These results are not only a reflection of public opinion, but also a benchmark for diplomatic activity. Countries with high levels of support have the best conditions for strengthening bilateral ties with Ukraine in the humanitarian, security, and economic spheres,” comments Maxim Urakin, PhD in Economics and founder of Experts Club.
Overall, the survey results clearly demonstrate that international support for Ukraine in difficult times directly shapes citizens’ trust. Ukrainians’ attitudes are not only based on historical or cultural ties, but also depend to a large extent on the specific actions of foreign states during the war.
