Most Ukrainians have a positive attitude toward Slovenia, according to the results of a survey conducted by Active Group and Experts Club in August 2025.
According to the data, 52.8% of respondents expressed a positive attitude towards this country (20.5% — mostly positive, 32.3% — completely positive). Only 9.0% of respondents had a negative attitude (7.0% — mostly negative, 2.0% — completely negative). At the same time, 38.2% of citizens expressed a neutral position, while another 5.3% admitted that they knew little about Slovenia.
“The survey results show that Ukrainians perceive Slovenia as a friendly European country that consistently supports Ukraine in international organizations and promotes European integration. The high level of positive attitudes reflects both cultural proximity and shared European values,” said Active Group CEO Oleksandr Pozniy.
In turn, co-founder of Experts Club Maksym Urakin emphasized the economic aspect:
“In 2025, the total trade volume between Ukraine and Slovenia reached $181.5 million. Ukrainian exports amounted to $45.3 million, while imports exceeded $136 million, resulting in a negative balance of $90.8 million. This indicates that there is significant potential for growth in Ukrainian exports to Slovenia, especially in the areas of agricultural products and mechanical engineering,” he said.
The study is part of a large-scale project by Active Group and Experts Club to study Ukrainians’ international sympathies and the dynamics of foreign economic relations.
ACTIVE GROUP, EXPERTS CLUB, Pozniy, RELATIONS, SLOVENIA, SOCIOLOGY, TRADE, UKRAINE, URAKIN
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have signed a strategic mutual defense agreement, under which an attack on one country will be considered an attack on both.
The agreement is called the Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement. It was signed on September 17, 2025, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It was signed by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The key provision of the agreement is that “any aggression against one party will be considered aggression against both.” The document does not explicitly mention the use of nuclear weapons or specific military assets, but it states that the agreement covers all defense and military means that the parties deem necessary depending on the threat.
The signing took place against a backdrop of heightened regional tensions, particularly following Israeli airstrikes on Qatar and concerns among Arab states about the reliability of US protection. The long-standing relationship between the countries includes cooperation in training, the presence of Pakistani military personnel in Saudi Arabia, and the protection of Islamic holy sites.
The military forces of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia
To understand which countries are part of the agreement, it is important to assess their military capabilities:
Spain is one of those countries that are perceived by Ukrainians almost unconditionally positively, and the level of negative assessments of it remains minimal. This is evidenced by the results of an all-Ukrainian survey conducted by Active Group in cooperation with the Experts Club information and analytical center in August 2025.
According to the survey, 53.0% of Ukrainian citizens have a positive attitude towards Spain (39.7% – mostly positive, 13.3% – completely positive). Only 1.0% of respondents expressed a negative attitude (0.7% – mostly negative, 0.3% – completely negative). At the same time, 44.0% of respondents are neutral, and 2.3% said they were not sufficiently aware of the country.
“Spain demonstrates one of the highest shares of positive assessments among Ukrainians, and this is no coincidence. In the first half of 2025, the volume of trade between our countries amounted to more than $1.44 billion, of which exports from Ukraine amounted to $975.7 million and imports from Spain amounted to about $460.4 million. The positive balance of more than $515 million indicates the profitability of cooperation and that Ukraine has a competitive position in the Spanish market,” said Maksym Urakin, founder of Experts Club.
In his turn, Alexander Poznyi, co-founder of Active Group, emphasized that the high level of sympathy on the part of Ukrainians is also politically and culturally based.
“Spain actively supports Ukraine on international platforms, provides humanitarian aid and creates favorable conditions for Ukrainian migrants. At the same time, cultural openness and traditional ties between our peoples strengthen this positive image. Therefore, the level of distrust or criticism of Spain in Ukrainian society is practically absent,” he added.
The survey was part of a comprehensive study of international sympathies and antipathies of Ukrainians in the current geopolitical context.
The full video can be viewed here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgC9TPnMoMI&t
You can subscribe to the Experts Club YouTube channel here:
https://www.youtube.com/@ExpertsClub
ACTIVE GROUP, DIPLOMACY, EXPERTS CLUB, Poznyi, SOCIOLOGY, SPAIN, TRADE, URAKIN
The attitude of Ukrainians towards Hungary is one of the most critical among all EU countries. This is evidenced by the results of an all-Ukrainian survey conducted by Active Group in cooperation with the Experts Club information and analytical centerin August 2025.
According to the survey, 55.7% of Ukrainian citizens have a negative attitude towards Hungary (40.3% – mostly negative, 15.3% – completely negative). Only 16.0% of respondents expressed a positive attitude (10.7% – mostly positive, 5.3% – completely positive). Another 27.0% of respondents took a neutral position, and 1.7% said they did not know the country well enough to form their own opinion.
“Ukrainians perceive Hungary ambiguously due to a number of political factors. This directly affects the level of trust in society. Nevertheless, if we look at the economic component, in the first half of 2025, the volume of trade between Ukraine and Hungary exceeded $1.52 billion, of which exports from Ukraine amounted to $652 million and imports to almost $874 million. The negative balance of more than $221 million indicates a certain asymmetry in relations, but at the same time demonstrates that Hungary remains a prominent partner in our market,” said Maksym Urakin, founder of Experts Club.
In his turn, Active Group co-founder Oleksandr Poznyi emphasized that the sociological results do not mean complete rejection of cooperation.
“More than half of the citizens do demonstrate a critical attitude towards Hungary, but a quarter of respondents remain neutral, and one in six Ukrainians assesses Hungary positively. This means that there is still potential for restoring trust at the level of interpersonal contacts, cultural ties, and business relations. In the future, these factors may become the basis for mitigating the current negative assessments,” he added.
The survey was part of a broader study of international sympathies and antipathies of Ukrainians in the context of the current geopolitical situation.
The full video can be viewed here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgC9TPnMoMI&t
You can subscribe to the Experts Club YouTube channel here:
https://www.youtube.com/@ExpertsClub
ACTIVE GROUP, DIPLOMACY, EXPERTS CLUB, HUNGARY, Poznyi, SOCIOLOGY, TRADE, URAKIN
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) may provide Bank Lviv with an unsecured loan in hryvnia for up to EUR 40 million and guarantees for EUR 31.5 million to cover the credit risk on new loans to the Ukrainian bank for a total amount equivalent to EUR 45 million.
According to the EBRD website, its Board of Directors plans to consider the relevant projects at its meeting on October 22 this year.
According to published materials, the loan is planned to be provided in four equal tranches of EUR 10 million each. It will consist of two components: at least 75% under the EBRD’s Resilience and Livelihoods Program and up to 25% under the EU4Business-EBRD Credit Line with incentives to finance long-term capital investments by MSMEs.
As for the guarantee project, unlike most similar projects with larger banks, it covers 70% of the risk, rather than the usual 50%. It is noted that the mechanism will include two sub-limits with a covered portfolio: EUR 36 million under the Sustainability and Livelihoods Guarantee product and EUR 9 million under the EU4Business-EBRD credit line with incentives.
The EBRD notes that Bank Lviv is a regional bank focused on MSMEs operating in western Ukraine, with total assets of EUR 333 million (0.5% of the market, ranked 23rd among 60 banks) and a loan portfolio (mainly SMEs) of approximately EUR 212 million as of the end of the second quarter of 2025 (1.2% of the market). Bank Lviv has its head office in Lviv and 20 branches.
Ukrainians have a mostly positive attitude toward the Czech Republic, which is an important partner in the European Union and one of the main destinations for labor migration. This is evidenced by the results of a survey conducted by Active Group in cooperation with the Experts Club.
According to the survey, 62% of Ukrainians expressed a positive attitude towards the Czech Republic (40.7% – mostly positive and 21.3% – completely positive). Neutral attitudes were expressed by 33% of respondents, while negative opinions accounted for only 3.3%. Another 2% of respondents admitted that they did not have sufficient information about the country.
Thus, the Czech Republic is among the countries that have a consistently high level of positive perception among Ukrainians, on par with other Central European countries.
According to the State Customs Service of Ukraine, in 2024, trade between Ukraine and the Czech Republic reached USD 1.64 billion. THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE. At the same time, Ukrainian exports amounted to USD 478.7 million, and imports from the Czech Republic amounted to USD 1.16 billion. The negative balance amounted to $683.5 million.
Ukraine’s exports to the Czech Republic are mainly ferrous metals, machinery, and agricultural products. Imports from the Czech Republic consist mainly of automotive machinery, equipment, electronics, and pharmaceuticals.
“The positive attitude of Ukrainians toward the Czech Republic is explained not only by historical proximity but also by Prague’s active support for Ukraine. At the same time, economic relations between the two countries are characterized by a significant imbalance – imports from the Czech Republic significantly exceed exports. This creates prospects for the development of new areas of cooperation, especially in the fields of high technology, investment projects, and energy,” emphasized Maksym Urakin, founder of Experts Club, economist.
The full video can be viewed here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgC9TPnMoMI&t
You can subscribe to the Experts Club YouTube channel here:
https://www.youtube.com/@ExpertsClub
ACTIVE GROUP, CZECH REPUBLIC, DIPLOMACY, EXPERTS CLUB, Pozný, SOCIOLOGY, TRADE, URAKIN
