Ukrainians’ attitudes toward Belgium in August 2026 improved slightly compared to the previous survey wave: 59.8% of respondents view the country positively, while only 1.4% view it negatively. At the same time, more than a third of those surveyed—36%—remain neutral, according to the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center.
According to the results of the August survey, 21.1% of Ukrainians view Belgium entirely positively, and 38.7% view it mostly positively. A neutral attitude was expressed by 36% of respondents. Only 0.8% view the country mostly negatively, 0.6% view it entirely negatively, and another 2.7% were undecided.
According to the table, the balance of positive and negative assessments is +58.4 percentage points. Thus, Belgium remains among the Western European countries with a distinctly positive perception, and negative attitudes toward it are virtually marginal.
In March 2026, 58.7% of respondents viewed Belgium positively: 19.3% viewed it entirely positively and 39.4% viewed it mostly positively. 37.1% of respondents held a neutral view, 2.3% held a negative view, and another 1.9% were undecided.
Thus, over the course of five months, the share of positive assessments rose by 1.1 percentage points—from 58.7% to 59.8%—while negative assessments fell by 0.9 percentage points—from 2.3% to 1.4%. The neutral segment also decreased by 1.1 percentage points. The balance between positive and negative attitudes rose from approximately plus 56.4 to plus 58.4 percentage points.
At the same time, the internal structure of positive responses changed slightly. The share of fully positive assessments increased from 19.3% to 21.1%, while the share of mostly positive assessments decreased from 39.4% to 38.7%. This means that the overall improvement was modest, but a portion of respondents began to view Belgium more unequivocally positively.
Oleksandr Pozniy, director of the research firm Active Group, previously noted that a significant proportion of neutral responses regarding Belgium is not linked to a negative perception but rather to the specific characteristics of the country’s established image.
“Belgium is perceived by Ukrainians as an important member of the European Union and NATO, a country that consistently supports Ukraine on the international stage. At the same time, its relative distance and the lack of deep historical ties account for the high proportion of neutral assessments,” Pozniy explained.
The new wave of the survey generally confirms this characterization. The positive segment is gradually expanding, negative assessments remain at a minimal level, yet more than a third of Ukrainians still hold a neutral position. This indicates significant potential for further shaping a more defined image of Belgium through economic, humanitarian, educational, and intercultural contacts.
The previous wave of the survey was conducted in March 2026 among 800 Ukrainian citizens aged 18 and older using self-administered online questionnaires on the SunFlowerSociology panel. The sample was representative by age, gender, and region; the maximum theoretical margin of error for indicators at the 50% confidence level was ±3.5 percentage points.
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Ukrainians’ positive attitude toward Bulgaria in August 2026 declined compared to the previous phase of the study: 42.7% of respondents view the country positively, down from 53.8% in March. At the same time, Ukrainians with a neutral attitude became the largest group—47.6%, according to the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center.
According to the results of the August survey, 11% of Ukrainians have a completely positive attitude toward Bulgaria, while 31.7% have a mostly positive attitude. A neutral stance is held by 47.6% of respondents. A mostly negative attitude was expressed by 6.8%, a completely negative attitude by 0.6%, and another 2.3% were undecided.
Thus, the combined share of negative assessments is 7.4%, and the balance between positive and negative attitudes is +35.3 percentage points. Despite a decline in positive ratings, favorable assessments of Bulgaria are nearly six times higher than negative ones. At the same time, nearly one in two respondents expresses neither a positive nor a negative attitude toward the country.
Compared to March 2026, the changes are quite noticeable. In the previous survey, 14.2% of respondents viewed Bulgaria entirely positively, and another 39.6% viewed it predominantly positively. The overall positive rating stood at 53.8%, the neutral rating at 42.4%, while negative assessments accounted for only 2.3%.
Over the course of five months, the share of positive responses fell by 11.1 percentage points—from 53.8% to 42.7%. Negative attitudes increased by 5.1 percentage points—from 2.3% to 7.4%—while neutral attitudes rose by 5.2 percentage points to 47.6%. The balance of positive and negative assessments fell from approximately plus 51.5 percentage points in March to plus 35.3 percentage points in August.
At the same time, the “mostly positive” category saw the sharpest decline—from 39.6% to 31.7%—while the share of entirely positive responses fell from 14.2% to 11%. Thus, the deterioration in the indicators occurred simultaneously due to growth in both the neutral and negative segments.
Maksym Urakin, founder of the Experts Club information and analytical center and a candidate of economic sciences, had previously drawn attention specifically to the significant share of uncertain or neutral perceptions of Bulgaria.
“This result indicates not so much indifference as the lack of an active Bulgarian presence in Ukraine’s information space,” Urakin noted. In his view, the problem lies not so much in an established negative image as in the country’s insufficient visibility to the Ukrainian audience. More active communication in the areas of economic, humanitarian, and other practical cooperation could help foster a more defined attitude.
The latest round of the survey partially confirms the validity of this assessment: the share of neutral respondents has once again approached half. At the same time, unlike in March, the share of negative responses has also increased, although it remains significantly lower than the share of positive responses.
The survey was conducted in August 2026 using self-administered online questionnaires from the SunFlowerSociology panel among 800 Ukrainian citizens aged 18 and older. The previous round of the survey in March also included 800 respondents; the sample was representative by age, gender, and region, with a maximum theoretical margin of error of ±3.5 percentage points for indicators at the 50% level.
ACTIVE GROUP, BULGARIA, CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE, EUROPEAN UNION, EXPERTS CLUB, international relations, PUBLIC OPINION, SOCIOLOGY, UKRAINE, URAKIN
According to Experts Club, Lithuania continues to enjoy one of the highest levels of positive perception among Ukrainians: in August 2026, 69.9% of respondents viewed the country positively, while only 3.9% viewed it negatively. At the same time, compared to the previous wave of the survey, the share of positive assessments has decreased, while the share of neutral assessments has increased, reports the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center.
According to the results of the August survey, 37.8% of Ukrainians view Lithuania entirely positively, and 32.1% view it mostly positively. A neutral stance is held by 24.5% of respondents. 3.1% view the country mostly negatively, 0.8% view it entirely negatively, and another 1.8% were undecided.
Based on the rounded figures in the table, the balance between positive and negative assessments is approximately plus 66 percentage points. This means that positive assessments of Lithuania outnumber negative ones by nearly 18 times. The country remains among those with the most favorable public perception among Ukrainians.
Compared to March 2026, the positive attitude has weakened somewhat. At that time, 44.1% of respondents rated Lithuania entirely positively, and another 31% rated it mostly positively, meaning the combined positive rating stood at 75.1%. Twenty-one percent of respondents had a neutral attitude toward the country, while about 3.3% had a negative one.
Thus, over the course of five months, the share of positive assessments decreased by 5.2 percentage points—from 75.1% to 69.9%. The share of neutral responses increased by 3.5 percentage points—from 21% to 24.5%—while the negative segment grew by only about 0.6 percentage points. Consequently, the decline in the positive rating was primarily due to some respondents shifting to a neutral position, rather than a sharp rise in negative attitudes.
The change in the intensity of positive assessments is also significant. The share of respondents with a completely positive attitude fell from 44.1% in March to 37.8% in August, while the share of mostly positive responses actually rose slightly—from 31% to 32.1%. This indicates a certain softening of assessments while maintaining an overall favorable image of Lithuania.
Oleksandr Pozniy, director of the research company Active Group, previously linked the high ratings of European countries to how Ukrainians perceive their support.
“This study confirms the general trend in public sentiment in Ukraine, which has intensified since the start of the full-scale war. Ukrainians clearly associate the support received primarily from European Union countries and the United Kingdom with a positive attitude toward them,” Pozniy noted.
At the same time, commenting on the structure of the responses in the survey, he emphasized: “For Ukrainians, the world is not ‘black and white,’ and the large proportion of neutral assessments regarding a number of countries indicates caution and a desire for balanced judgment rather than indifference.”
The latest round of the survey shows that, in the case of Lithuania, this trend is reflected in an increase in the neutral segment, while negative assessments remain at a very low level. Despite a decline compared to March, approximately seven out of ten Ukrainians continue to view the country positively.
The survey was conducted in August 2026 using self-administered online questionnaires in the SunFlowerSociology panel among 800 Ukrainian citizens aged 18 and older. The previous survey in March also included 800 respondents; the sample was representative by age, gender, and region, and the maximum theoretical margin of error for indicators at the 50% confidence level was ±3.5 percentage points.
ACTIVE GROUP, EUROPEAN UNION, EXPERTS CLUB, international relations, LITHUANIA, PUBLIC OPINION, SOCIOLOGY, THE BALTIC STATES, UKRAINE
According to Experts Club, France continues to enjoy one of the highest levels of positive perception among Ukrainians: in August 2026, 72.8% of respondents viewed the country positively, while only 3.7% viewed it negatively. Compared to March, the share of positive assessments has decreased slightly, but at the same time, the share of negative responses has also decreased, reports the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center.
According to the results of the August survey, 28% of Ukrainians view France entirely positively, and 44.8% view it mostly positively. 22.5% of respondents hold a neutral position. 3.5% view the country mostly negatively, only 0.2% view it entirely negatively, and another 1% were undecided.
The balance of positive and negative assessments stands at plus 69.1 percentage points. Thus, positive attitudes toward France outnumber negative ones by nearly 20 to 1. Based on this balance, the country remains among the leaders in the overall ranking of Ukraine’s trading partners.
Compared to the previous survey wave, the changes are relatively minor. In March 2026, 30.3% of respondents had a completely positive attitude toward France, and 44.3% had a mostly positive attitude—meaning the overall positive rating stood at 74.6%. At that time, 20.3% held a neutral position, while 4.7% of respondents expressed a negative attitude.
Thus, over the course of five months, the share of positive assessments decreased by 1.8 percentage points—from 74.6% to 72.8%—but the share of negative assessments also fell—from 4.7% to 3.7%. At the same time, the share of neutral responses increased by 2.2 percentage points—to 22.5%. The balance between positive and negative attitudes changed only slightly—from plus 69.9 to plus 69.1 percentage points.
The internal structure of positive responses is also revealing. The share of those who view France entirely positively decreased from 30.3% to 28%, while the share of mostly positive responses remained virtually unchanged—44.3% in March and 44.8% in August. This indicates that a stable, positive core of public opinion regarding France remains intact.
Oleksandr Pozniy, director of the research firm Active Group, previously attributed France’s high ratings to its established image among the Ukrainian public.
“For many Ukrainians, France is a symbol of support in difficult times, as well as a cultural and political reference point in Europe. These figures demonstrate a high level of trust and respect, which is largely explained by Paris’s active role in European policy toward Ukraine,” Pozniy noted.
According to him, when analyzing these results, it is important to consider more than just current emotional assessments: attitudes toward other countries are shaped by experiences of interaction, the informational context, and Ukrainians’ expectations regarding the future role of a partner country.
The latest wave of the survey shows that attitudes toward France remain consistently positive: a slight decrease in the overall share of favorable assessments is accompanied by a reduction in the negative segment and an increase in the share of neutral responses. In other words, there has been no noticeable shift from a positive to a negative perception.
The survey was conducted in August 2026 using self-administered online questionnaires in the SunFlowerSociology panel among 800 Ukrainian citizens aged 18 and older. In the previous survey wave in March, 800 respondents were also surveyed; the sample was representative by age, gender, and region, with a maximum theoretical margin of error of ±3.5 percentage points for indicators at the 50% confidence level.
ACTIVE GROUP, EUROPEAN UNION, EXPERTS CLUB, FRANCE, international relations, PUBLIC OPINION, SOCIOLOGY, UKRAINE
The Netherlands continues to enjoy one of the highest levels of positive perception among Ukrainians: in August 2026, a total of 71.3% of respondents expressed a positive attitude toward the country, while only 1.6% expressed a negative one. Compared to March, the share of positive assessments declined slightly, but the net sentiment remains one of the highest among the countries surveyed, according to the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center. Experts.news
According to the results of the August survey, 28.4% of Ukrainians have a completely positive attitude toward the Netherlands, and 42.9% have a mostly positive attitude. A neutral stance is held by 26.4% of respondents. 1.4% view the country mostly negatively, only 0.2% view it entirely negatively, and another 0.8% were undecided.
The net balance of positive and negative assessments, based on rounded figures, stands at plus 69.7 percentage points. Based on this indicator, the Netherlands ranks among the countries with the most favorable public perception among Ukrainians, trailing only Canada and Sweden in the overall ranking.
A previous survey conducted in March 2026 also showed a very high level of favorability. At that time, 34.3% of respondents viewed the Netherlands entirely positively, 38.5% viewed it mostly positively, and 24.2% held a neutral position. In the aggregated results, the share of positive assessments was reported at 72.7%, while negative assessments accounted for only 1.2%.
Thus, between March and August, the overall share of positive assessments decreased by approximately 1.4 percentage points. At the same time, the structure of positive attitudes changed more noticeably: the share of entirely positive responses decreased by 5.9 percentage points, while that of mostly positive responses increased by 4.4 percentage points. The share of neutral assessments increased by approximately 2.2 percentage points. Overall, these changes do not indicate a significant deterioration in attitudes—the negative segment remains minimal.
Oleksandr Pozniy, director of the research firm Active Group, had previously highlighted the stability of the Netherlands’ positive image. He attributed the high ratings to the country’s consistent stance and a nature of engagement that is understandable to Ukrainian society. In his view, stable indicators across several survey waves are more important than minor fluctuations between individual measurements.
This positive public perception is also coupled with trade figures that are favorable to Ukraine. In the first half of 2026, trade with the Netherlands totaled approximately $1.82 billion, with Ukrainian exports exceeding $1 billion and a trade surplus for Ukraine of about $221.5 million.
Thus, the Netherlands remains an example of a country where a high level of public support is combined with its important role as a market for Ukrainian exports. A slight decline in the positive rating compared to March does not currently change the overall picture: only a small portion of respondents view the country negatively.
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European Union countries remain the largest destination for Ukrainian rolled metal products: in January–September 2026, the EU accounted for 82.2% of Ukraine’s exports of metallurgical products.
According to data from the State Customs Service of Ukraine, another 9.2% of shipments went to other European countries, and 6.7% went to CIS countries.
In total, Ukrainian steel mills exported approximately 2.277 million metric tons of rolled steel over the nine-month period, which accounted for 61.1% of the country’s total production.
At the same time, the geography of Ukrainian imports differs significantly from the structure of exports.
The largest source of steel product shipments to Ukraine was other European countries outside the EU, which accounted for 48.8% of imports.
Asian countries ranked second with a 26.6% share, while the EU-27 ranked third with 17%.
In total, Ukraine imported 1.276 million metric tons of rolled metal products from January through September.
Source: “Ukrmetallurgprom,” State Customs Service of Ukraine.
