Business news from Ukraine

Ukrainians’ attitudes toward Azerbaijan in August 2026 became more positive compared to the previous wave of the study: 48.7% of respondents view the country positively, compared to 44.3% in March. At the same time, the share of neutral assessments decreased from 47.1% to 39.5%, according to the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center. In the Caucasus and Central Asia regional group, Azerbaijan ranks second after Georgia in terms of the level of positive attitudes among Ukrainians.

According to the results of the August survey, 12.5% of Ukrainians have a completely positive attitude toward Azerbaijan, while 36.2% have a mostly positive attitude. A neutral stance is held by 39.5% of respondents. 7.6% view the country mostly negatively, 1% view it entirely negatively, and another 3.1% were undecided.

The total share of negative assessments is 8.6%, and the balance between positive and negative attitudes is +40.1 percentage points. Thus, positive assessments of Azerbaijan outnumber negative ones by more than five to one.

In March 2026, 14.2% of respondents had a completely positive attitude toward Azerbaijan, while 30.1% had a mostly positive attitude, meaning the overall positive rating was 44.3%. At that time, 47.1% of respondents expressed a neutral attitude, 6.5% a negative one, and another 2.1% were undecided.

Consequently, over the course of five months, the positive segment increased by 4.4 percentage points—from 44.3% to 48.7%. Negative assessments also increased—by 2.1 percentage points—while the neutral segment shrank by 7.6 percentage points. The balance between positive and negative attitudes rose from +37.8 to +40.1 percentage points.

At the same time, a noticeable shift occurred within the positive segment: the share of fully positive responses decreased from 14.2% to 12.5%, while the share of mostly positive responses rose from 30.1% to 36.2%. This indicates an expansion of the overall group with a favorable attitude, although their assessments have become somewhat less categorical.

At the same time, the figures remain lower year-over-year. In August 2025, 56.7% of Ukrainians viewed Azerbaijan positively, while 5.7% viewed it negatively. Thus, the current trend shows an improvement compared to March but has not yet returned to the level of positive perception recorded a year earlier.

Maksym Urakin, founder of the Experts Club information and analytical center and a candidate of economic sciences, emphasized that public perception of international partners depends not only on the scale of economic relations but also on their visibility to citizens.

“The modern international economy is not just about foreign trade figures, but also about reputation, trust, political closeness, humanitarian presence, and a sense of partnership at the societal level. It is precisely within this framework that both Ukraine’s trade ties and the work of foreign embassies in Ukraine’s information and public spheres should be assessed,” Urakin noted.

In his assessment, for countries with a significant share of neutral responses, a systematic informational presence, the demonstration of specific economic and humanitarian projects, and active engagement by diplomatic missions with Ukrainian society remain crucial.

The latest wave of the survey shows that attitudes toward Azerbaijan are becoming more defined: the share of neutral responses has decreased significantly, while positive assessments have risen to nearly half of those surveyed. At the same time, the 39.5% of neutral responses indicate significant potential for further shaping the country’s public image.