Celebrations were held in the capital of Ukraine on the occasion of the 77th anniversary of the declaration of independence of the State of Israel. The event brought together representatives of the diplomatic corps, Ukrainian authorities, the Jewish community, public organizations, artists and friends of Israel from different regions of Ukraine.
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Israel to Ukraine Michael Brodsky delivered a welcoming speech.
“Thank you for joining us today to celebrate the 77th anniversary of Israel’s independence,” the Ambassador addressed the guests.
He emphasized the deep historical and mental connection between the Ukrainian and Israeli peoples:
“There are few countries in the world that understand each other better than Israel and Ukraine. On February 24, 2022, from the first day of Russian aggression, the people of Israel supported Ukraine. On October 7, when the horrific terrorist attack on Israel took place, the people of Ukraine unequivocally supported our country. We feel this support and highly appreciate it,” the diplomat emphasized.
The ambassador devoted a special place in his speech to the topic of freedom and the price paid by the peoples of both countries for their independence.
“Our peoples are acutely aware of the high price we have to pay for our independence. We pay for it with the blood of our children and our loved ones. Israelis and Ukrainians live in hope for a speedy end to the war and peaceful life,” Brodsky said.
The ambassador expressed confidence in a common future:
“I am confident that in spite of everything, we will cope with our problems. That despite wars and terror, our countries will remain free and independent,” he said.
The diplomat also mentioned the historical figure of Golda Meir, the fourth Prime Minister of Israel, who was born in Kyiv:
“Recently, we have often recalled Golda Meir. Many of her quotes sound very modern today. I would like to remind you of one of her statements: “Pessimism is a luxury that Jews can never afford.” This fully applies to Ukrainians as well,” Michael Brodsky emphasized.
Israel’s Independence Day (Yom HaAtzmaut) is celebrated according to the Jewish calendar on the 5th of Iyar (May 13, 2025). It was on this day in 1948 that David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the establishment of the independent State of Israel in Tel Aviv after the end of the British Mandate in Palestine. The very next day, the newly created state was attacked by neighboring Arab countries, which marked the beginning of the War of Independence. Since then, Israel has annually celebrated this date as a symbol of victory, survival, and national revival of the Jewish people.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said New Delhi will deny Pakistan access to water resources from Indian territory because of Islamabad’s hostile policies.
“Pakistan will not get a drop of water that belongs to India. Playing games with Indian lives will cost Pakistan dearly,” Hindustan Times quoted the prime minister as saying.
He also recalled New Delhi’s stance that talks with Islamabad would be held only on the Pakistan-controlled part of Kashmir.
Earlier it was reported that the Indian side, despite the truce with Islamabad after the exchange of blows in May, has not yet returned to the implementation of the Indus Waters Treaty, which regulates the use of water from several rivers by the parties.
Meanwhile, according to Dawn, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, chairman of one of the country’s ruling Pakistan People’s Party, said the previous day that peace in South Asia could be achieved if only India and Pakistan agreed on three issues – Kashmir, counter-terrorism and water.
“The people of the two countries desire peace which is not possible without solving the three issues of Kashmir, terrorism and water,” he said.
The politician also expressed deep concern over India’s exploitation of the water issue for its own interests.
Dawn notes that Zardari, at the head of a Pakistani delegation, will soon travel to a number of countries to convey Islamabad’s views on the regional situation.
The treaty, concluded in 1960, governs the use by both countries of water from the Indus and several other rivers that originate in India. In a new round of tensions between the countries that began in April 2025, India suspended implementation of the treaty and closed the locks on some river dams. Islamabad fears that such actions could cause drought in Pakistani territory.
In April, the sociological company Active Group, together with the Experts Club information and analytical center, conducted a public opinion survey on international sympathies of Ukrainians. The survey was conducted online among 800 respondents, representative of age, gender and regions. The purpose of the study was to find out which countries enjoy the greatest trust and sympathy in Ukrainian society.
“This study confirms the general vector of public sentiment in Ukraine, which has intensified since the outbreak of a large-scale war. Ukrainians clearly associate the support received primarily from the European Union and the United Kingdom with a positive attitude towards them,” said Alexander Poznyi, co-founder of Active Group, at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine on Thursday.
According to the survey, Ukrainians have the most positive attitude towards the UK – 77.2% of respondents gave positive answers, Canada (76.3%) and France (74%). It is particularly significant that only 1.1% of respondents were completely negative about France. Germany currently enjoys the support of 68.8% of Ukrainians. According to Oleksandr Poznyi, the high level of trust in this country is primarily determined by long-term support for Ukrainian reforms and the defense industry, policy toward Ukrainian refugees, and other initiatives.
Ukrainians have a moderately positive attitude toward the United States of America: 36.1% of respondents assess the United States positively, while another 31.2% are neutral. On the other hand, almost a third – 29.9% – have a negative attitude toward the country. According to experts, these results indicate a deep polarization in the perception of the United States within Ukraine, which is caused by changes in American policy after the new administration came to power.
“For many Ukrainians, the United States is still a guarantor of support, but it is also a country with an ambivalent role in global conflicts, which can cause a mixed reaction in society,” said Maksym Urakin, founder of Experts Club.
Ukrainians are quite critical of Hungary (56% negative attitude) and Slovakia (34.6% negative).
“Such results are not unexpected – the official rhetoric of Budapest and Bratislava often diverges from the interests of Ukraine and is seen as pro-Russian, which cannot but be reflected in public opinion,” commented Oleksandr Poznyi.
The situation with China is no better: 42.8% of Ukrainians have a negative opinion of this country, while only 19.6% have a positive one. At the same time, 27.6% chose a neutral answer.
“It is particularly interesting that even Ukraine’s economically important partners, such as China (the largest trading partner), receive low support ratings among Ukrainians. This indicates that Ukrainian society places moral support above actual trade and does not recognize “neutrality” unless it is accompanied by humanitarian gestures,” said Maksym Urakin.
There is a high level of trust in Japan: 66% of respondents have a positive attitude, while only 3.6% have a negative attitude. Japan is perceived as a country with a high cultural reputation and technological leadership. South Korea also has a positive attitude from 49.7% of Ukrainians, although the level of negativity is slightly higher at 14%.
Turkey, despite partnership projects (particularly in the field of drones), has a rather ambiguous perception: 46.4% of respondents have a positive attitude toward it, and 12% have a negative attitude.
Ukrainians have a favorable attitude toward Brazil, with 33.3% positive versus 9.3% negative, and mostly neutral attitudes toward other Latin American countries. This, according to Oleksandr Poznyi, indicates a neutral interest rather than a clearly defined position.
Regarding Saudi Arabia, 25.2% of Ukrainians have a positive attitude, and 9.5% have a negative attitude. The rest of the respondents either have a neutral position or refrained from answering.
“These countries are trustworthy due to their efforts to achieve peace in Ukraine, including prisoner exchanges, and also act as a negotiation platform, and they are also of interest in the economic sphere,” Urakin said.
According to Mr. Poznyi, the findings of the study are an indicator of international trust and the potential for the development of bilateral relations between Ukraine and other countries.
Maksym Urakin, in turn, added that the image of states in the perception of Ukrainians can be improved by supporting projects to restore Ukraine (even without military involvement), establishing direct dialogue through embassies and public diplomacy projects, explaining their position through the historical context without avoiding publicity.
ACTIVE GROUP, DIPLOMACY, EXPERTS CLUB, Posniy, SOCIOLOGY, URAKIN
Experts Club Information and Analytical Center has analyzed the dynamics of industrial production in Serbia and its growth trends in Serbia in recent years. At the beginning of 2025, industrial production in Serbia shows a slowdown in growth compared to the previous year. According to Trading Economics, in January 2025, industrial production increased by 0.4% in annualized terms, but in February it recorded a decrease of 1.8% compared to the same period in 2024.
In 2024, industrial production in Serbia showed positive dynamics. In December 2024, growth amounted to 2.7% in annual terms, which was the result of a 9.9% increase in production in the extractive industry and a 5.6% increase in manufacturing.
In order to understand the current trends, let us look at the changes in industrial production in Serbia in recent years, based on the analysis of data collected by the Experts Club for the period from 2000 to 2024.
2000: growth by 10.2%
2001: growth by 1.5%
2002: growth by 1.7%
2003: 3.5% growth
2004: 7.1% growth
2005: 0.8% growth
2006: 4.7% growth
2007: 4.9% growth
2008: increase of 1.1%
2009: decrease of 12.1%
2010: increase of 2.5%
2011: increase of 2.1%
2012: decrease of 1.5%
2013: increase of 5.5%
2014: decrease of 6.5%
2015: increase of 8.3%
2016: growth of 4.7%
2017: increase of 3.9%
2018: growth of 1.3%
2019: increase of 0.3%
2020: decrease of 1.0%
2021: increase of 6.0%
2022: increase of 1.9%
2023: increase of 5.8%
2024: 3.1% growth
The data reflect fluctuations in Serbia’s industrial production over the last 25 years, with periods of both growth and decline. For the last 4 years, industrial production in Serbia has been growing steadily.
A meeting of the Capital Region discussion club was held at the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency to discuss the vision of Ukraine’s victory and present the TOP-100 Most Influential People 2024 project.
During the meeting, the results of a sociological survey conducted by Active Group were presented, which showed that the idea of victory is transforming. The club members discussed the mood of Ukrainians and residents of Kyiv region, in particular in the context of the third year of full-scale war. Key issues included assessing the performance of local authorities, what people are willing to do to win, what victory means to them (return of borders, surrender of the enemy or ceasefire), and what hopes and fears people have for the so-called post-war day.
“Studies show that Ukrainians expect the war to continue for at least another six months. Amid talks of a truce after November 2024, the number of people willing to negotiate with Russia without conditions as soon as possible is falling, while at the same time, people’s desire to negotiate is growing, provided that the fighting stops completely. According to respondents, the Armed Forces are responsible for the success of the counteroffensive and defense, while international partners and allies and the President are responsible for the failure,” said Andriy Yeremenko, head of the sociological company Active Group.
Oleh Ivanenko, a member of the Kyiv regional council, said there are two ways to end the war quickly. The first, in his opinion, lies in the plane of Ukrainian politics, the second in American politics.
“The American option is the George Washington, the largest aircraft carrier, entering the Black Sea, and the war ends. The Ukrainian option is to declare a state of war. And then we will have no problems with demobilization, mobilization, because all MPs, officials, and the presidential administration are going to war,” he emphasized.
Oleksandr Magdych, a soldier of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and head of the Bila Tserkva Volunteer Corps, added that to achieve peace and victory, a general mobilization of the economy and citizens is needed, as well as a law on demobilization and rotation for the military.
“The unity of our society, our work to defend our country, starting with volunteers, soldiers, the government, the opposition – everyone is working for the result. Everyone wants the war to end on Ukrainian terms as soon as possible. This is very important, and my communication with our citizens confirms this. We communicate in different regions, on the contact lines with soldiers and volunteers of the volunteer battalion,” said Volodymyr Kreidenko, MP, Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Transport.
Serhiy Guliyev, a member of the Vyshneve City Council and entrepreneur, said that the Safe Region community on Viber and Telegram, which he runs, already has more than half a million members from 41 countries.
“When the full-scale invasion began, the Sergey Guliyev Foundation was created, which is now recognized as the most powerful. I am pleased that a large percentage of the efforts to win are made by volunteers. We have been working around the clock for three years now. We have raised and sent hundreds of millions of hryvnias and thousands of trucks with aid to the frontline,” added Guliyev.
The discussion club also presented the project “TOP 100 Most Influential People of 2024”. The rating includes representatives of government, business, culture, science, and the public.
The top ten are Ruslan Kravchenko, former head of the Kyiv Regional Military Administration and head of the State Tax Service of Ukraine; Andriy Yermak, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine; Oleksiy Kuleba, Vice Prime Minister for Reconstruction of Ukraine and Minister of Community and Territorial Development, former deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine; Yaroslav Dobriansky, acting head of the Kyiv Regional Council; Oleh Tatarov, deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine; Anatoliy Shchadylo, head of the Main Department of the National Police in Kyiv Region; and Anatoliy Shchadylo, former deputy head of the National Police in Kyiv.
According to the authors of the rating, they do not focus only on positions. The main thing for them is the real impact of a person on the region, his or her contribution to the development of Kyiv region, initiatives and actions that change the life of the community.
The project “TOP-100 Most Influential People” has been implemented since 2017 by the creative team of the Moya Kyivshchyna News Agency and the editorial board of the independent newspaper Slovo i Dilo with the participation of experts from the Institute of Ukrainian Politics.
The rating is based on information and analytical research on the socio-political situation in the region. The publication is available both in print and online on the project’s website: https://top-100.kyiv.ua.
The Discussion Club is organized by the Moya Kyivshchyna News Agency, the Institute of Ukrainian Politics, and the sociological company Active Group. It brings together experts, politicians, MPs, academics, military and public figures.
Moldovan parliamentary elections scheduled for September 28Moldovan parliamentary elections will be held on September 28, a decision to this effect was adopted at a parliamentary session on Thursday.
Moldova has a parliamentary form of government, under which the powers of the president are limited. Parliamentary elections are held every four years.
The last one was held on July 11, 2021. According to the legislation, the next elections must be held within 90 days after the four-year anniversary of the approval of the mandates of elected deputies. This means that the elections must be held between July 26 and October 26, 2025.
Earlier, the Experts Club think tank released a video analysis dedicated to the most important elections in the world in 2025, for more details see here –
