According to a survey conducted by Active Group and the Experts Club analytical center, 56.6% of Ukrainians have a positive attitude toward New Zealand. In particular, 34.6% of respondents said they had a “mostly positive” attitude toward the country, and another 22.1% said they had a “completely positive” attitude.
A neutral position was taken by 37.4% of respondents, which indicates limited knowledge about the country, but without prejudice. Only 1.3% of respondents expressed a negative attitude (1.3% mostly negative, 0% completely negative), and 4.7% were unable to decide on an answer.
“New Zealand is perceived by Ukrainians as one of the most peaceful, progressive, and naturally attractive countries in the world. Its environmental policy, the well-being of its citizens, and its positive image in world culture create a consistently high level of sympathy,” commented Maksim Urakin, candidate of economic sciences and founder of the Experts Club information and analytical center.
New Zealand has a strong positive image among Ukrainians, despite its geographical remoteness. Its support for international values and reputation as a peaceful, developed country form the basis for this friendly attitude.
The presentation of the study is available at the link.
ACTIVE GROUP, DIPLOMACY, EXPERTS CLUB, Pozniy, SOCIOLOGY, URAKIN
State-owned Oschadbank and Ukrgasbank, together with PUMB, issued a loan of UAH 2.8 billion to a defense industry enterprise in the fourth quarter of 2024 under the Program for Strengthening the State’s Defense Capabilities and Meeting the Urgent Needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, according to information on the website of the Ministry of Finance.
As clarified to the Interfax-Ukraine news agency by Oschadbank, the bank acted as the organizer of this consortium loan, which was the first loan to the domestic defense industry.
“As the coordinating bank for this agreement, Oschadbank has set itself the main task of creating a consortium not so much to diversify risks as to set a precedent for involving banks that do not have access to state secrets in the financing of defense industry enterprises,” commented Yuriy Katsion, deputy chairman of the board of Oschadbank, responsible for corporate business.
The shares of the participants in the consortium loan are not disclosed.
As reported, since the start of the full-scale war, Oschadbank has concluded loan agreements to support the defense industry worth over UAH 17.1 billion.
According to the Ministry of Finance, in 2024, the state-owned Oschadbank, Ukreximbank, Ukrgasbank, and PUMB provided 11 loans under state guarantees to defense industry enterprises under the above-mentioned program in the amount of UAH 21 billion. Excluding the consortium, Oschadbank issued six loans worth UAH 9.86 billion, and Ukreximbank issued four loans worth UAH 8.25 billion.
A year earlier, Oschadbank provided a loan worth UAH 6.09 billion under this program, and Ukreximbank provided a loan worth UAH 5.98 billion.
According to the results of a sociological survey conducted by Active Group and the information and analytical center Experts Club in April 2025, the majority of Ukrainians — 63% — have a positive attitude toward Australia. Of these, 40% chose the option “mostly positive,” and another 23% — “completely positive.”
A neutral position was taken by 32.3% of respondents, while only 2.2% of citizens have a negative perception of Australia (1.9% — mostly negative, 0.4% — completely negative). It was difficult to answer — 2.4%.
“Australia has long formed an image in the minds of Ukrainians as a democratic, safe, and distant but friendly country. Its participation in international initiatives, in particular its support for Ukraine in the war, has further strengthened its positive image,” says Oleksandr Pozniy, co-founder of Active Group.
Australia ranks among the top countries in terms of Ukrainians’ favorability ratings. Its distant geographical location does not prevent the formation of a stable positive image based on international support, shared values, and cultural openness.
The presentation of the study is available at the link.
ACTIVE GROUP, DIPLOMACY, EXPERTS CLUB, Pozniy, SOCIOLOGY, URAKIN
During a press conference on Saturday night, Putin proposed starting direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15, according to Reuters.
Putin ignored the proposal by Ukraine and European leaders, supported by the US, for a 30-day ceasefire starting on Monday, May 12.
Instead, he said that a ceasefire could be discussed during direct talks.
“He said that Russia is offering direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul in an attempt to ‘eliminate the root causes of the conflict’ and ‘achieve the restoration of long-term, lasting peace,’” Reuters quoted the Kremlin leader as saying.
As noted by the agency, Putin resorted to accusations against the Ukrainian authorities that are traditional for his rhetoric. In particular, he complained about the unsuccessful negotiations in Istanbul in 2022.
As reported, on Saturday, May 10, the leaders of France, Germany, Poland, the UK, and Ukraine, following a meeting in Kyiv, adopted a joint statement proposing that Russia cease fire completely and unconditionally from Monday, May 12, for at least 30 days. In the event of Russia’s refusal to accept the proposed ceasefire, they agreed to impose tougher sanctions on its banking and energy sectors, targeting fossil fuels, oil, and the shadow fleet. The joint statement also mentioned the 17th package of EU sanctions and continued work on the effective use of frozen Russian assets.
According to the results of a sociological survey conducted by Active Group in collaboration with the information and analytical center Experts Club in April 2025, 70.3% of Ukrainians have a neutral attitude towards Indonesia.
This country is viewed positively by 17.9% of respondents, of which 13.1% are mostly positive and 4.9% are completely positive. On the other hand, only 4.5% of respondents are negatively disposed (4.1% are mostly negative and 0.4% are completely negative). Another 7.3% were undecided.
“Indonesia remains on the periphery of the information field for most Ukrainians. Despite its status as the fourth most populous country in the world, ties with Ukraine are rather limited. This shapes such a high level of neutrality in perception,” explains Maksim Urakin, PhD in Economics and founder of the Experts Club information and analytical center.
Ukrainians generally demonstrate moderate sympathy for Indonesia, although a neutral position remains dominant. This indicates a low level of awareness about the country against the backdrop of a lack of systematic contacts.
The presentation of the study is available at the link.
ACTIVE GROUP, DIPLOMACY, EXPERTS CLUB, Pozniy, SOCIOLOGY, URAKIN
On May 8, 2025, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine ratified a strategic agreement with the United States of America on the joint use of mineral resources, which was an important step in strengthening the economic partnership between the two countries. The agreement provides for the creation of a Joint Reconstruction Investment Fund, which will give the US priority access to Ukrainian minerals, including lithium, titanium, graphite, and uranium. At the same time, Ukraine expects increased military support and economic stability.
Volodymyr Khaustov, scientific secretary of the State Institution “Institute of Economics and Forecasting of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine,” honored economist of Ukraine, and candidate of technical sciences, shared his vision for the prospects of this agreement in a video from the Experts Club expert and analytical center.
“Ukraine has significant potential in the field of strategic mineral extraction. However, it should be understood that realizing this potential requires significant investment and time. Many deposits, particularly lithium deposits, are located in regions where infrastructure needs to be modernized and geological data is based on outdated Soviet research,” Khaustov said.
The expert also highlighted the technological challenges associated with the extraction and processing of Ukrainian minerals.
“Most lithium deposits in Ukraine contain ores that are difficult to enrich using existing technologies. This requires the development of new processing methods, which in turn requires time and financial resources,” he explained.
The agreement also stipulates that profits from joint projects will be reinvested in Ukraine during the first ten years, which should contribute to the country’s economic recovery. However, Khaustov warns against excessive optimism about quick results.
“The implementation of such large-scale projects is not a matter of one year. All risks and challenges, including geopolitical and economic ones, that may affect the implementation of the agreement must be taken into account,” he stressed.
Overall, the expert believes that the signing of the agreement with the US is an important step for Ukraine, opening up new opportunities for the development of the mining industry and strengthening the economy. However, the successful implementation of the agreements requires a comprehensive approach, strategic planning, and close cooperation between all interested parties.
“This is a chance for Ukraine to become an important player in the global market for strategic minerals. But this requires not only desire, but also real action, investment, and technological solutions,” Volodymyr Khaustov concluded.
Thus, the agreement between Ukraine and the US opens a new page in the economic partnership between the two countries, but its successful implementation depends on many factors that require careful analysis and balanced decisions.
You can learn more about Ukraine’s mineral resources in the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFI5sUBX3gc&t
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