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
Serbia is one of the few European countries towards which Ukrainians demonstrate a predominantly reserved or negative attitude. These results were obtained during a public opinion poll conducted by the sociological company Active Group in April 2025 in conjunction with the analytical center Experts Club.
According to the survey, 19.3% of Ukrainians have a negative attitude toward Serbia (15.3% — mostly negative, 3.9% — completely negative). A positive opinion was expressed by 16.4% (12.9% — mostly positive, 3.6% — completely positive). However, the largest share — 59.8% — chose a neutral position, and another 4.5% were unable to answer.
“Unlike attitudes toward Hungary or Slovakia, negative and positive attitudes toward Serbia are almost equal, with a neutral position prevailing at 60%. Serbia is balancing between the EU and Russia and China for a comfortable political and economic existence. Despite its geographical proximity and cultural affinity, Serbia’s image in Ukraine needs to be rethought and reoriented to improve bilateral relations,” emphasized Maksim Urakin, founder of Experts Club.
The presentation of the study is available at the link.
ACTIVE GROUP, DIPLOMACY, EXPERTS CLUB, Pozniy, SOCIOLOGY, URAKIN
Despite strategic partnership and large-scale support during the war, Ukrainians’ attitudes toward the US are becoming increasingly complex and ambiguous. This is evidenced by the results of a nationwide poll conducted by Active Group in conjunction with the Experts Club information and analytical center in April 2025.
According to the survey, 36.1% of Ukrainian citizens have a generally positive view of the United States (29.3% mostly positive, 6.7% completely positive). At the same time, 29.9% of respondents have a negative attitude (25.8% mostly negative, 4.1% completely negative). Another third — 31.2% — remain neutral, and 2.8% were unable to give a definite answer.
“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 Experts Club founder Maxim Urakin.
“These data show that Ukrainians recognize the important role of the US in supporting our country during the war, but at the same time remain critical of Washington’s current actions in global politics,” said Alexander Pozniy, co-founder of Active Group.
The poll was part of a broader study examining Ukrainians’ international sympathies and antipathies in the context of contemporary geopolitics.
The study can be found at the link.
ACTIVE GROUP, DIPLOMACY, EXPERTS CLUB, Pozniy, SOCIOLOGY, URAKIN
Against the backdrop of growing tensions between India and Pakistan, a sociological survey conducted by Active Group in collaboration with Experts Club highlights Ukrainians’ views on how they see our country’s diplomatic position in the event of an escalation of the conflict between these two nuclear powers.
According to the poll, the vast majority of Ukrainians — 90.3% — are in favor of Ukraine taking a neutral position in the event of a full-scale Indo-Pakistani war. This shows that people want diplomatic restraint on issues that don’t directly affect national interests.
Only 8% of respondents expressed support for some form of support for India (4.7% — full support, 3.3% — partial support). As for Pakistan, only 1.6% supported this country (0.3% — partial support, 1.3% — full support for Pakistan’s position).
These results echo Ukrainians’ broader perceptions of these two countries. According to separate surveys
26.7% of Ukrainians have a positive attitude toward India, while 55.3% are neutral.
26.7% have a positive attitude toward Pakistan, while 55.3% are neutral.
“The predominance of neutrality in the choice of diplomatic course towards India and Pakistan indicates a low level of inclusion of the topic in Ukraine’s information space. At the same time, this is a sign of a mature approach to foreign policy in the eyes of citizens,” notes Maxim Urakin, PhD in Economics and founder of Experts Club.
Despite the fact that some respondents show moderate sympathy for India, the vast majority of Ukrainian citizens adhere to a position of non-interference. This may indicate a high level of awareness of armed conflicts outside their own region.
In April, the sociological company Active Group, together with the Experts Club information and analytical center, conducted a public opinion survey on international sympathies of Ukrainians. The survey was conducted online among 800 respondents, representative of age, gender and regions. The purpose of the study was to find out which countries enjoy the greatest trust and sympathy in Ukrainian society.
“This study confirms the general vector of public sentiment in Ukraine, which has intensified since the outbreak of a large-scale war. Ukrainians clearly associate the support received primarily from the European Union and the United Kingdom with a positive attitude towards them,” said Alexander Poznyi, co-founder of Active Group, at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine on Thursday.
According to the survey, Ukrainians have the most positive attitude towards the UK – 77.2% of respondents gave positive answers, Canada (76.3%) and France (74%). It is particularly significant that only 1.1% of respondents were completely negative about France. Germany currently enjoys the support of 68.8% of Ukrainians. According to Oleksandr Poznyi, the high level of trust in this country is primarily determined by long-term support for Ukrainian reforms and the defense industry, policy toward Ukrainian refugees, and other initiatives.
Ukrainians have a moderately positive attitude toward the United States of America: 36.1% of respondents assess the United States positively, while another 31.2% are neutral. On the other hand, almost a third – 29.9% – have a negative attitude toward the country. According to experts, these results indicate a deep polarization in the perception of the United States within Ukraine, which is caused by changes in American policy after the new administration came to power.
“For many Ukrainians, the United States is still a guarantor of support, but it is also a country with an ambivalent role in global conflicts, which can cause a mixed reaction in society,” said Maksym Urakin, founder of Experts Club.
Ukrainians are quite critical of Hungary (56% negative attitude) and Slovakia (34.6% negative).
“Such results are not unexpected – the official rhetoric of Budapest and Bratislava often diverges from the interests of Ukraine and is seen as pro-Russian, which cannot but be reflected in public opinion,” commented Oleksandr Poznyi.
The situation with China is no better: 42.8% of Ukrainians have a negative opinion of this country, while only 19.6% have a positive one. At the same time, 27.6% chose a neutral answer.
“It is particularly interesting that even Ukraine’s economically important partners, such as China (the largest trading partner), receive low support ratings among Ukrainians. This indicates that Ukrainian society places moral support above actual trade and does not recognize “neutrality” unless it is accompanied by humanitarian gestures,” said Maksym 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 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 toward it, and 12% have a negative attitude.
Ukrainians have a favorable attitude toward Brazil, with 33.3% positive versus 9.3% negative, and mostly neutral attitudes toward other Latin American countries. This, according to Oleksandr Poznyi, indicates a neutral interest rather than a clearly defined position.
Regarding Saudi Arabia, 25.2% of Ukrainians have a positive attitude, and 9.5% have a negative attitude. The rest of the respondents either have a neutral position or refrained from answering.
“These countries are trustworthy due to their efforts to achieve peace in Ukraine, including prisoner exchanges, and also act as a negotiation platform, and they are also of interest in the economic sphere,” Urakin said.
According to Mr. Poznyi, the findings of the study are an indicator of international trust and the potential for the development of bilateral relations between Ukraine and other countries.
Maksym Urakin, in turn, added that the image of states in the perception of Ukrainians can be improved by supporting projects to restore Ukraine (even without military involvement), establishing direct dialogue through embassies and public diplomacy projects, explaining their position through the historical context without avoiding publicity.
ACTIVE GROUP, DIPLOMACY, EXPERTS CLUB, Posniy, SOCIOLOGY, URAKIN
Russia’s war against Ukraine can easily end if the US administration under Donald Trump takes a solution-based approach, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday, according to the Turkish newspaper Yeni Şafak.
“If in the Trump era we see a US administration that approaches the issue from a settlement perspective, we can easily end this war. More weapons, more bombs, more chaos and conflicts will not end this war. More dialogue, more diplomacy, more reconciliation will open the door to peace,” Erdogan said while talking to journalists on board the plane after returning from Budapest.
He noted that Turkey is “a country that has managed to bring both sides to the same table.”
“We have done it many times and we can do it again. This war must end now,” Erdogan emphasized.
According to him, Turkey has focused its efforts on achieving peace and will continue to do so. “We hope that in the new period we will be able to start from scratch and achieve peace, in which all conflicts and wars will end,” the Turkish leader said.
In his opinion, Trump’s election as US president will have a serious impact on the political and military balance in the Middle East. In addition, Erdogan said that he had invited Trump to Turkey.
“I hope he will accept our invitation and thus strengthen cooperation between Turkey and the United States,” he said.
