Most Ukrainians express a positive attitude towards Switzerland, although a significant proportion of respondents remain neutral. This is evidenced by the results of a nationwide sociological survey conducted by Active Group in collaboration with the information and analytical center Experts Club in August 2025.
According to the data, 60.3% of Ukrainians have a positive opinion of Switzerland (42.0% — mostly positive, 18.3% — completely positive). Only 1.7% of respondents expressed a negative attitude (1.3% — mostly negative, 0.3% — completely negative). At the same time, 36.7% remain neutral, and 1.7% said they did not have enough information about the country.
“Ukrainians associate Switzerland with reliability, stability, and humanitarian support, which the country provides in difficult times. The high level of trust indicates Switzerland’s positive image, despite a certain detachment in global politics,” commented Active Group co-founder Oleksandr Pozniy.
In turn, Maksim Urakin, founder of Experts Club, emphasized economic ties:
“In the first half of 2025, trade turnover between Ukraine and Switzerland exceeded $928 million. At the same time, Ukrainian exports amounted to only $44 million, while imports from Switzerland reached almost $884 million. The negative balance of more than $839 million is significant, indicating Ukraine’s substantial dependence on imports from this country,” he stressed.
The survey was part of a broader program of research into the international sympathies and antipathies of Ukrainians in the current geopolitical context.
The full video can be viewed at: 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, Pozniy, SOCIOLOGY, SWITZERLAND, TRADE, URAKIN
Goodwell Ukraine, a large agricultural company owned by Danish investors, has received permission from the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) to acquire a controlling stake in the private enterprise Agro-Vita. The decision was made on September 18, according to the AMCU press service.
According to the document, Goodvalley Ukraine will be able to acquire more than 50% of the votes in Agro-Vita’s highest governing body. Both companies are registered and operate in the Ivano-Frankivsk region.
Agro-Vita specializes in growing grains, legumes, and oilseeds.
Goodvalley Ukraine is part of the international Goodvalley group, founded in Denmark. The company has been operating in Ukraine since 2004, engaged in livestock breeding (pig and cattle breeding), crop production, and compound feed production. The company’s main facilities are located in the Ivano-Frankivsk region, where Goodvalley has invested tens of millions of euros in the development of agricultural production, environmental projects, and social programs for local communities.
The company previously announced that it plans to expand the processing of agricultural products and introduce modern technologies for sustainable agriculture.
The Goodvalley Group operates in more than ten European countries. In Ukraine, it is one of the largest foreign agricultural investors. The company’s development is seen as an important signal of continued investment interest from the EU even in the context of war, which helps to maintain employment in rural areas and strengthen the country’s food security.
Scientists are increasingly turning their attention to an unusual means of improving brain health: silence. According to research, regular exposure to complete silence can stimulate the growth of new brain cells, reduce stress levels, and improve cognitive function.
This was first pointed out by a study by neurobiologist Imke Kirste from Duke University (USA). An experiment on mice showed that two hours of silence a day — not music or noise — leads to a significant increase in the number of neurons in the hippocampus, which is responsible for memory and learning. This was a sensation, as it had long been believed that the adult brain had virtually no capacity for neurogenesis.
In humans, silence activates the so-called default mode network (a network of passive brain activity) that turns on when we are not engaged in external tasks. At this moment, the brain structures information, strengthens memory, and initiates restorative processes. In addition, changes in brain waves are recorded: a transition from “fast” beta rhythms to calmer alpha and theta waves associated with creativity and reduced anxiety.
Similar conclusions are confirmed by studies of mindfulness and meditation practices. In 2011, Harvard proved that an eight-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program increases gray matter density in the hippocampus.
Silence affects more than just the brain:
1) it lowers cortisol levels and normalizes blood pressure and heart rate;
2) it improves concentration and cognitive clarity;
3) it helps regulate sleep and emotional state;
4) it creates conditions for creative ideas to emerge.
According to psychologists, “silence is not emptiness, but a space of presence” that helps restore balance and clarity. Thus, two hours of silence a day — whether it’s a walk without gadgets, meditation practice, or simply disconnecting from background noise — can be a powerful tool for brain and body health.
Datagroup, a telecommunications operator that has been part of the DVL group of companies (Datagroup-Volia-lifecell) since September 2024, earned UAH 78.58 million in net profit in January-June 2025, compared to a net loss of UAH 43.05 million in the same period last year.
According to the company’s financial report in the NSSMC disclosure system, the company increased its revenue by 14% to UAH 917.40 million during the reporting period, while gross profit decreased by 3.2% to UAH 267.72 million, and operating profit decreased by 37.7% to UAH 75.34 million.
According to the report, the return to profitability is explained by a reduction in financial expenses in the first half of this year to UAH 7.94 billion from UAH 163.8 billion in the first half of last year.
“The company’s current financial and economic condition remains resilient to the challenges of large-scale war in Ukraine,” the report says.
The company added that in order to minimize negative effects and increase business efficiency, work is continuing on “intra-group corporate integration processes aimed at reducing operating and capital expenditures for the modernization of the electronic communications network and improving the quality of electronic communications services.”
During the reporting period, the average number of full-time employees was 1,524, with 85 part-time employees and 113 part-time employees. Payroll expenses in the second quarter of 2025 amounted to UAH 284.15 million, and compared to the previous year, the payroll fund increased.
The DVL Group of Companies noted in its release that in the first half of 2025, profitability increased by 30% compared to the second half of 2024. Since the beginning of the integration of the group’s companies, lifecell’s EBITDA margin has increased by 7 p.p. and reached 58.4% in the second quarter of 2025.
As reported, in September 2024, NJJ Holding, led by French investor Xavier Niel, completed the acquisition of national fixed-line internet service provider Datagroup-Volia and third-largest mobile operator lifecell. The assets were merged into the DVL group.
The majority of Ukrainians have a neutral attitude toward Brazil, according to a survey conducted by Active Group and the Experts Club.
According to the survey, 59.0% of respondents have a neutral position on the country. 24.3% of respondents have a positive attitude (in particular, 19.7% – “mostly positive” and 4.7% – “completely positive”). At the same time, 12.3% of Ukrainian citizens expressed a negative attitude toward Brazil, and another 4.3% said they were not familiar with the country.
Thus, the balance of positive and negative attitudes is +12 percentage points (24.3% vs. 12.3%).
According to the latest data, the volume of trade in goods between Ukraine and Brazil amounted to $180.3 million in 2024.
Ukrainian exports to Brazil amounted to $36.1 million,
– imports from Brazil amounted to $144.2 million,
– the negative balance was $108.1 million.
The total trade turnover reached $180.3 million, which indicates Ukraine’s significant dependence on Brazilian imports.
“Brazil remains an important trading partner for Ukraine in Latin America, but the structure of bilateral trade is currently asymmetrical. The significant deficit reflects the predominance of imports, in particular agricultural products and industrial goods,” said Maksym Urakin, economist and founder of Experts Club.
He emphasized that amid growing global competition, Ukraine should actively seek opportunities to increase exports to the Brazilian market: “This applies not only to agricultural products, but also to high-tech industries where Ukraine has competitive advantages.”
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, BRAZIL, EXPERTS CLUB, Poznyi, SOCIOLOGY, TRADE, UKRAINE, URAKIN
The total amount of claims of foreign entities against the state of Ukraine is at least UAH 600 billion, and the volume of claims is about UAH 60 billion, according to the list of fiscal risks published by the Ministry of Finance in the annexes to the draft law No. 14000 on the State Budget for 2026.
According to the document, there are currently 25 disputes over foreign investors’ claims against the state of Ukraine with a statutory six-month period for pre-trial settlement. In most cases, this period has already expired, which means that the claimants may submit requests for arbitration to foreign jurisdictions.
As of July 1, 2025, according to the Ministry of Justice, there is a need to protect the rights and interests of the state in 64 cases that are being or will be considered in foreign jurisdictions. The government predicts that in 2026 the number of cases will be at least 53, and the number of disputes at the pre-trial stage will be at least 46.
The list of particularly significant cases that require the most effective defense includes
– the claim of the state development corporation VEB.RF for about $3.5 billion;
– claims of Emergofin B.V. and Velbay Holdings Ltd. for about $1 billion;
– a claim of OJSC Tatneft for about $200 million;
– the claim of the Republic of Tatarstan and the Ministry of Property of Tatarstan in the amount of $300 million;
– a claim of ABH Holdings S.A. (beneficiaries – Mikhail Fridman, Peter Aven, Andrey Kosogov) for about $1 billion;
– potential claims of Sberbank of Russia and Russian National Commercial Bank.
In addition, the government notes claims from Enwell Energy plc, AEROC and CTF Holdings S.A., which are associated with businessmen Vadim Novinsky, Andrei Molchanov and Mikhail Fridman, respectively.
The Ministry of Finance emphasizes that the number of investment disputes against Ukraine in connection with sanctions measures and confiscation of Russian property is likely to increase every year.
