Business news from Ukraine

Canada ranked first among countries with the highest net positive sentiment among Ukrainians—in August 2026, this figure stood at 73.8 percentage points. The top ten also included mainly countries from Northern and Western Europe, according to the results of the third wave of the study “Ukrainians’ Attitudes Toward Countries Around the World,” conducted by Active Group in collaboration with Experts Club, reports the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center.

Sweden took second place in terms of the balance of trust and distrust with a score of 70.6 percentage points, while the Netherlands came in third with 69.7 percentage points. Finland and Norway each scored 69.3 points, France scored 69.1 points, Italy scored 67.1 points, and Lithuania scored 65.9 points. Rounding out the top ten are Switzerland and the United Kingdom, which both scored 65.6 percentage points.

The sentiment score is calculated as the difference between the proportion of positive and negative ratings. Specifically, 76.3% of respondents view Canada positively, 2.5% negatively, and 19.2% neutrally. Thus, Canada’s high score is due not only to a significant proportion of favorable ratings but also to a minimal level of negative sentiment.

The survey results show that the top ten countries with the most favorable balance of attitudes consist almost entirely of countries in Northern and Western Europe, along with Canada. At the same time, the level of public favor does not always directly correspond to the scale of Ukraine’s trade and economic ties with a specific country. For example, China was Ukraine’s largest trading partner in the first half of 2026, yet it received the lowest balance of positive and negative assessments—minus 25.4 percentage points.

Maksym Urakin, founder of Experts Club, deputy director of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency, and candidate of economic sciences, emphasized that studies of public perception should be considered alongside actual foreign trade indicators.

“That is why it is very important for us to analyze our main partners. We must be open to questions and inquiries from the media and the public,” Urakin noted. According to him, the results of sociological surveys can be used to assess international relations and their further development.

Alexander Pozniy, Director of Active Group, drew attention to the need to combine the creation of a positive image of countries with the practical development of bilateral economic ties.

“We should focus on developing more than just general awareness. We need to expand cooperation with countries where we can achieve a positive balance,” Pozniy noted. According to him, both government agencies and business associations should be involved in this process.

The survey was conducted in August 2026 using self-administered online questionnaires via the SunFlowerSociology panel. A total of 800 Ukrainian citizens aged 18 and older were surveyed. According to the organizers, the sample is representative in terms of age, gender, and region; the maximum theoretical statistical margin of error at a 95% confidence level is 3.5%. This is the third wave of the survey, following surveys conducted in August 2025 and March 2026.