According to a survey conducted by Active Group and Experts Club, 26.7% of Ukrainians have a positive attitude toward Pakistan, while 12.0% express a negative attitude. At the same time, the majority of respondents (55.3%) take a neutral position, which indicates a low level of awareness or emotional interest in this country.
“Despite its geopolitical importance, Pakistan rarely appears in the Ukrainian media, especially in a positive light. This shapes a predominantly neutral, sometimes stereotypical perception. However, the proportion of positive attitudes demonstrates the openness of Ukrainian citizens to new partnerships and cultures,” notes Maksim Urakhin, founder of the Experts Club information and analytical center.
Pakistan has a chance to shape a new image in the eyes of Ukrainian society through cultural, educational, or economic initiatives that will shift perceptions in a positive direction.
The study is available at the link.
ACTIVE GROUP, DIPLOMACY, EXPERTS CLUB, Pozniy, SOCIOLOGY, URAKIN
Polish carriers have announced a new protest action on the border with Ukraine. This was announced by the Committee for the Protection of Transport Carriers and Employers of Poland, which submitted an official request to hold the event near the Dorohusk-Yagodin checkpoint, one of the largest between the two countries.
According to the organizers, the decision to resume protests is related to the Polish government’s lack of response to the demands of representatives of the transport industry.
“We have registered a protest at the largest border crossing point. Disappointed by the inaction of the authorities, we want to restore the balance in the transport market, which was disrupted after the cancellation of permits for Ukrainian carriers,” the Committee said in a statement.
At the moment, the date and duration of the protest have not been specified.
Context: ongoing tensions at the border
Protests by Polish carriers and farmers on the border with Ukraine have been ongoing since November 2023. The main demands of the participants are the return of the permit system for Ukrainian carriers, a ban on imports of Ukrainian products, state subsidies for fertilizers, compensation for fuel excise taxes, and immediate payment of subsidies.
In some cases, the protests have led to the effective blockade of border crossing points, creating long queues and significant disruptions to logistics.
Restrictions at the border
In addition to possible protests, capacity at a number of border crossing points is limited due to repair work:
From April 24 to mid-July, work is being carried out at the Medyka-Shehyni border crossing point;
From April 30 to June 5, at the Ustyluh-Zosin checkpoint;
From May 8 to mid-June, at the Korcheva-Krakovets checkpoint.
In addition, a new road checkpoint, Nizhankovychi-Malhovychi, has been operating since the end of 2024, open to passenger and freight transport.
History of border blockades
The first large-scale stage of protests by Polish farmers and carriers began in the fall of 2023. Over the following months, they repeatedly blocked key border crossings, including Yagodyn, Rava-Ruska, Krakivets, and Shehyni. The protests were accompanied by political rhetoric and discontent over the expanded access of Ukrainian carriers to the EU without permits, which caused concern among Polish trade unions.
Despite temporary agreements between the Ukrainian and Polish authorities, tensions at the border remain high. Experts note that the situation requires a systemic political and economic solution, including the renewal of agreements and the easing of competitive tensions between the countries.
Hungary is one of the few countries in the European Union that provokes a critical or negative attitude among a significant part of Ukrainians. This is evidenced by the results of a sociological survey conducted by Active Group in collaboration with the Experts Club analytical center in April 2025.
56.1% of Ukrainians surveyed expressed a negative attitude toward Hungary (36.6% — mostly negative, 19.4% — completely negative). Only 12.5% of respondents have a positive perception (8.4% — mostly positive, 4.1% — completely positive). Another 27.9% remained neutral, and 3.6% abstained from answering.
“The reason for this level of distrust is the consistent policy of official Budapest, which often runs counter to the positions of Ukraine and its allies in the EU and NATO. Ukrainians clearly note these differences,” said Oleksandr Pozniy, co-founder of Active Group.
These results signal the need to rethink bilateral relations and the importance of transparent diplomacy.
ACTIVE GROUP, DIPLOMACY, EXPERTS CLUB, Pozniy, SOCIOLOGY, URAKIN
According to a survey conducted by Active Group and Experts Club, 26.7% of Ukrainians expressed a positive attitude toward India (21.7% — mostly positive, 5.0% — completely positive), while 12.0% expressed a negative attitude. The vast majority (55.3%) have a neutral attitude, which indicates that there is no established image of this country in the mass consciousness of Ukrainians.
“India is perceived as a country with a huge population, a dynamic economy, and a deep cultural heritage. At the same time, it is informationally distant from Ukrainian consumers, which creates a significant level of neutrality and low emotional coloring in its perception,” comments Maksim Urakin, PhD in Economics and founder of the Experts Club information and analytical center.
India remains a promising partner for the development of humanitarian and economic ties, but needs a more active information presence in Ukraine to form a clearer positive image.
The presentation of the study is available at the link.
ACTIVE GROUP, DIPLOMACY, EXPERTS CLUB, Pozniy, SOCIOLOGY, URAKIN
Ukrainian real estate marketplace DIM.RIA analyzed changes in the primary, secondary, and rental real estate sectors during April 2025. The study presents the dynamics of prices, supply, and demand compared to the previous month and April 2024.
Primary market
Supply
In April 2025, the share of open sales departments for new buildings remained unchanged compared to March — 77%. During the month, 16 new buildings (28 sections) were commissioned in Ukraine 6 in Lviv, 4 in Kyiv, 3 in Ivano-Frankivsk, and 1 each in Vinnytsia, Khmelnytskyi, and Rivne regions.
The largest number of completed new buildings among all objects was in Rivne (62%), Zaporizhzhia (56%), Odesa (54%), and Volyn (52%) regions.
Prices
The average price per square meter in US dollars increased the most in the Zhytomyr, Poltava, Odesa, and Dnipropetrovsk regions, with growth ranging from 3% to 5%. At the same time, Chernihiv and Kharkiv regions saw a significant drop in prices — 5% compared to March. Year-on-year, real estate prices fell the most in the frontline regions — Sumy, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipropetrovsk. Kyiv remains the most expensive city — $1,369 per square meter.
Secondary market
Supply
The largest number of advertisements for the sale of secondary housing in April came from the Kirovohrad, Cherkasy, and Ternopil regions.
Prices
According to the DIM.RIA analytical center, the average cost of one-room apartments in April increased in most regions. The largest increase was recorded in the Kherson region — +12%. The most expensive one-room apartments on the secondary market are in Kyiv. In the capital, owners set an average price of about $91,500. Looking at the capital in more detail, the most expensive district remains Pecherskyi, with an average price for a one-room apartment of almost $132,000, and the most affordable is Desnianskyi, where the average price is $45,000.
Demand
In April, user interest in secondary housing increased significantly across virtually the entire territory of Ukraine. The most active search for secondary real estate was in the Kirovohrad region.
The ratio of the number of purchase listings to the number of responses to them in April in Kyiv was 1:3, which is the smallest difference. In the Vinnytsia region, it was 1:18, in the Ternopil region — 1:15, in the Vinnytsia region — 1:14, and in the Mykolaiv region — 1:13.
Rental market
Supply
According to DIM.RIA analysts, the rental market was unstable in April: the largest number of new ads were published in the Kirovohrad (+84%), Cherkasy (+39%), and Odesa (+28%) regions; however, in the Poltava region, the number of offers in April decreased by 77% compared to March. In Kyiv, owners also published fewer new ads: 17% less than in March.
Prices
Kyiv remains the most expensive city for renting housing: the average cost in April was 17.5 thousand UAH, which is 2% less than in March. As always, the highest prices are listed by owners in the Pecherskyi district — 22,500 UAH, and the lowest in the Desnianskyi district — 10,500 UAH for a one-room apartment.
In all regions, this indicator fluctuated within a few percent during the month, with the exception of Poltava (10% increase), Kherson (22% decrease), and Kirovohrad (26% decrease) regions.
Demand
In April, users were actively looking for rental housing: according to data from the DIM.RIA analytical center, interest was observed in almost all regions of Ukraine. The ratio of rental listings to responses in April in Kyiv was 1:5, while in most regions these figures differed several times over.
The full analytical report and high-quality images are available at the link!
In April 2025, Active Group, in collaboration with the Experts Club think tank, conducted a survey of Ukrainians’ attitudes towards the People’s Republic of China. The results show a significant level of distrust, a small proportion of sympathy, and a high percentage of neutral attitudes.
According to the survey, 42.8% of Ukrainians have a negative attitude toward China. In particular, 35.5% have a mostly negative attitude, and 7.3% have a completely negative attitude. China is viewed positively by 19.6% of respondents, with 15.9% expressing a mostly positive attitude and 3.7% completely positive. A neutral position is held by 34.2% of those surveyed, while another 3.4% were unable to answer.
“China is perceived by Ukrainian society in an ambiguous way. On the one hand, it is an economic power and a potential partner, but on the other hand, Beijing’s vague position on Russia’s war against Ukraine is causing serious concern,” said Alexander Pozniy, co-founder of Active Group.
In turn, the candidate of economic sciences and founder of the Experts Club information and analytical center emphasized that the status of a major trading partner remains secondary compared to the political and moral position on the war.
“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,” added Maxim Urakin.
Thus, Ukrainians’ attitude toward China remains rather negative: criticism and distrust prevail, although one in five still has a positive opinion, and one-third remain undecided.
The presentation of the study is available at the link.
ACTIVE GROUP, DIPLOMACY, EXPERTS CLUB, Pozniy, SOCIOLOGY, URAKIN
