In April, the sociological company Active Group, in collaboration with the information and analytical center Experts Club, conducted a public opinion poll on Ukrainians’ international sympathies. The survey was conducted online among 800 respondents representative of their age, gender, and region. The aim of the survey was to find out which countries enjoy the greatest trust and sympathy in Ukrainian society.
“This survey confirms the general trend in public sentiment in Ukraine, which has intensified since the start of the large-scale war. Ukrainians clearly associate the support they have received, primarily from the European Union and the United Kingdom, with a positive attitude towards them,” said Alexander Pozniy, co-founder of Active Group, at a press conference at the Interfax-Ukraine agency on Thursday.
According to the survey, Ukrainians have the most positive opinion of the United Kingdom, with a total of 77.2% of respondents giving positive answers, followed by Canada (76.3%) and France (74%). It is particularly noteworthy that only 1.1% of respondents had a completely negative opinion of France. Germany currently has the support of 68.8% of Ukrainians. According to Oleksandr Pozniy, the high level of trust in this country is primarily determined by its long-term support for Ukrainian reforms and the defense industry, its policy towards Ukrainian refugees, and other initiatives.
Ukrainians have a rather moderately positive attitude toward the United States: 36.1% of respondents view the US positively, while another 31.2% hold a neutral position. On the other hand, almost a third (29.9%) have a negative view of the country. According to experts, these results indicate a deep polarization in the perception of the US within Ukraine, caused by changes in American policy after the new administration came to power.
“For many Ukrainians, the US is still a guarantor of support, but it is also a country with an ambivalent role in global conflicts, which can cause mixed reactions in society,” said Maxim Urakin, founder of the Experts Club.
Ukrainians are quite critical of Hungary (56% negative attitude) and Slovakia (34.6% negative).
“These results are not surprising — the official rhetoric of Budapest and Bratislava often diverges from Ukraine’s interests and is perceived as pro-Russian, which cannot but be reflected in public opinion,” commented Oleksandr Pozniy.
The situation with China is no better: 42.8% of Ukrainians have a negative opinion of this country, while only 19.6% view it positively. At the same time, 27.6% chose a neutral response.
“It is particularly interesting that even Ukraine’s economically important partners, such as China (its largest trading partner), receive low support ratings among Ukrainians. This indicates that Ukrainian society values moral support above real trade and does not recognize “neutrality” if it is not accompanied by humanitarian gestures,” said Maxim 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 here 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 towards it, while 12% have a negative attitude.
Ukrainians have a favorable view of Brazil, with 33.3% positive and 9.3% negative, while their attitude toward other Latin American countries is mostly neutral. According to Oleksandr Pozniy, this indicates neutral interest rather than a clearly formed position.
As for Saudi Arabia, 25.2% of Ukrainians have a positive attitude, while 9.5% have a negative one. The remaining respondents either took a neutral position or did not answer.
“These countries inspire trust thanks to their efforts to achieve peace in Ukraine, in particular through prisoner exchanges, and they also act as a negotiating platform and are of interest in the economic sphere,” Urakin believes.
The findings of the study, as emphasized by Oleksandr Pozniy, are an indicator of international trust and potential for the development of bilateral relations between Ukraine and other countries.
Maksym Urakin added that the image of countries in the eyes of Ukrainians can be improved through support for projects aimed at rebuilding Ukraine (even without military involvement), establishing direct dialogue through embassies and public diplomacy projects, explaining their position through historical context, and not avoiding publicity.
The presentation is available here.
On April 26, 2025, Donald Trump Jr., the eldest son of US President Donald Trump, arrived in Belgrade. This is his second visit to Serbia in the last six months and part of a broader trip to Eastern Europe, which also includes Hungary and Romania.
Program of the visit to Belgrade
During his visit, Trump Jr. met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić. According to Vučić, they discussed bilateral relations, strategic cooperation, and joint projects for the coming years. The president emphasized the importance of strengthening political and economic ties between Serbia and the US.
In the afternoon, Trump Jr. spoke at a business forum organized by the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Entrepreneurs Club. The event was attended by representatives of construction companies, the banking sector, and other industries. The prospects for investment and the development of business ties between the US and Serbia were discussed.
The Trump family’s investment interests in Belgrade
The Trump family’s increased interest in Belgrade is linked to plans to rebuild the headquarters of the Yugoslav People’s Army, which was destroyed during the NATO bombing in 1999. In 2024, Affinity Global Development, owned by Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law, signed an agreement with the Serbian government to build a hotel complex on the site.
The project is expected to include a Trump-branded hotel, commercial space, and more than 1,500 residential apartments. This project is seen as part of a broader strategy to attract US investment to the Western Balkans.
Previous visits by Donald Trump Jr. to Belgrade
Trump Jr.’s first visit to Belgrade took place in September 2024, during his father’s election campaign. At that time, he held a closed-door dinner with a group of Serbian businessmen, including owners of construction companies and banks. The meeting was held without the participation of Serbian government officials and was aimed at discussing potential investment projects.
Significance of the visit for the region
Donald Trump Jr.’s visit to Belgrade demonstrates the growing interest of the US in investing in Serbia and the Western Balkans region. Discussions on joint projects and the strengthening of bilateral ties could contribute to the development of economic cooperation and attract new investment to the country.
In addition, the visit underscores Serbia’s desire to strengthen relations with the US, which is particularly important in the context of its aspirations for integration into the European Union and balancing between traditional allies and new partners.
Overall, Donald Trump Jr.’s visit to Belgrade can be seen as a step toward strengthening economic and political ties between Serbia and the US, as well as a signal of both sides’ readiness to implement joint projects in the future.
Pope Francis was buried in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, the Vatican said. The closed ceremony lasted about half an hour.
“The funeral rites were conducted in accordance with the Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis, presided over by the Cardinal Camerlengo, in the presence of those indicated in the relevant communication from the Office for Liturgical Celebrations and the relatives of the late Pope, and concluded at 1:30 p.m.,” the Vatican said in a statement.
After the farewell ceremony, a nine-day period of mourning begins.
During this time, cardinals from around the world arrive in the Vatican to participate in the conclave, a closed meeting at which a new Pope is elected.
It is noted that for the first time in more than a century, the Pope was buried outside the Vatican, and his funeral was a private event, allowing those closest to him to pay their respects.
Indian military officials said Pakistani troops fired on Indian posts along the Line of Control in disputed Kashmir for the second time in a night, the Associated Press reported on Saturday.
According to a statement from the Indian Army, soldiers from several Pakistani army posts opened fire on Indian positions “across the Line of Control.”
Indian troops responded with small arms fire. The statement said the firing was ‘unprovoked,’ but no information on casualties was provided.
Tensions between India and Pakistan have escalated after a deadly attack on Indian tourists in Kashmir on Tuesday, when a terrorist attack killed about 30 people, most of whom were Indian citizens.
India called the attack a “terrorist attack” and accused Pakistan of supporting the attackers. The Indian Express, citing sources, reported that seven attackers were behind the attack, at least four of whom were from Pakistan.
Pakistan, in turn, denied any involvement, and an unknown militant group called the “Kashmir Resistance” claimed responsibility for the attack.
In response to the escalation of the conflict, India suspended an important agreement on the joint use of water resources and closed the only functioning land border crossing point.
Pakistan, in turn, canceled visas for Indian citizens and closed its airspace to Indian airlines.
The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) has improved its forecast for the electricity deficit in Ukraine this year from 4% to 3% and next year from 2% to 1% thanks to rapid repairs and the development of distributed generation.
“Quick repairs to maneuverable generation and energy infrastructure, the development of distributed electricity generation and renewable energy capacity, against the backdrop of sustained electricity imports, allow us to improve the estimate of the electricity deficit over the forecast horizon,” the NBU stated in its Inflation Report for April 2025, comparing it with the January report.
According to Nabank, the deficit will almost disappear in 2027 (1%).
Thus, the report states that the impact of energy supply constraints on real GDP growth will decrease, and annual electricity imports in 2025-2027 will amount to about $0.5 billion.
As reported, at the end of 2024, the Ministry of Energy reported that the total capacity of distributed gas generation facilities connected in Ukraine last year amounted to 967 MW, of which 835 MW were commissioned in 2024.
39 years since the Chernobyl disaster
On April 26, 1986, at 1:23 a.m. Kyiv time, the fourth power unit of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (ChNPP) suffered the worst man-made disaster in human history. As a result of a failed experiment to test safety systems, a reactor explosion occurred, leading to a massive release of radioactive substances into the atmosphere.
How the accident happened
The experiment on the fourth power unit was conducted to test the operation of the turbine generator in the event of a loss of external power supply. Due to a series of violations of instructions, design errors, and incorrect actions by personnel, the reactor lost stability, causing a thermal explosion and subsequent fire.
The first firefighters and plant workers who arrived at the scene of the accident were exposed to powerful radioactive radiation, often without adequate protection.
The scale of the disaster
In the first days after the accident, a radioactive cloud covered Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia, and then spread throughout Europe.
Approximately 116,000 people were urgently evacuated from Pripyat and the 30-kilometer exclusion zone.
Subsequently, another 220,000 people were resettled from contaminated areas.
According to experts, radioactive emissions from Chernobyl were dozens of times higher than the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Consequences of the disaster
Human casualties:
Immediately after the accident, about 30 people died from acute radiation sickness and injuries.
According to long-term forecasts, the effects of radiation have led to an increase in thyroid disease, cancer, and cardiovascular disease in tens of thousands of people.
Environmental consequences:
For decades, the exclusion zone remained extremely dangerous for habitation.
Some areas still have high levels of radiation contamination today.
Economic consequences:
The USSR suffered enormous economic losses estimated at billions of dollars.
Reconstruction work, the construction of a sarcophagus over the destroyed reactor, and the resettlement of the population all placed a heavy burden on the economy.
Global consequences
Rethinking security policy: After Chernobyl, nuclear power plant safety standards were revised around the world.
Intensification of the anti-nuclear movement: European countries began to develop programs to phase out nuclear energy or tighten controls over it.
Increased international cooperation: the disaster highlighted the need for global coordination in the event of nuclear accidents. New international agreements on nuclear safety were established.
