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.
European Union countries and the United Kingdom remain the top foreign economic priority for Ukrainians: in August 2026, 69.9% of respondents noted the need to prioritize the development of trade and economic relations with these countries. This is evidenced by the results of the third wave of the study “Ukrainians’ Attitudes Toward Countries Around the World,” conducted by Active Group in collaboration with the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center, according to the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center.
At the same time, support for the European direction has declined compared to previous waves of the study. In August 2025, 82.8% of respondents cited EU countries and the United Kingdom; in March 2026, 81.1%; and in August, 69.9%. Thus, over the course of a year, the figure decreased by 12.9 percentage points.
The trend regarding the United States is even more pronounced. In August 2025, 58.8% of respondents supported prioritizing the development of trade and economic relations with the United States; in March 2026, this figure was 59.2%, while in August it stood at 11.9%.
In August 2026, 8.4% of respondents named China as a priority, compared to 35.4% in March and 26.7% in August of the previous year. At the same time, China remains one of Ukraine’s most important trading partners, highlighting the discrepancy between the actual structure of foreign trade and public perceptions of the desired directions for its development.
Another 5.5% of those surveyed in August advocated for prioritizing the deepening of economic relations with countries in Southeast Asia—Japan, South Korea, and other nations in the region. In March, this figure stood at 49%, and a year earlier—at 21%. Countries in the Arab and Muslim world were cited by 3.5% of respondents, compared to 29.8% in March, while African and South American countries were cited by 0.8%, compared to 19.6%.
Maksym Urakin, founder of the Experts Club information and analytical center, emphasized the need for more active communication between international partners and Ukrainian society.
“We need to regularly showcase concrete achievements and specific actions. Openness toward the media and the public helps strengthen relations, particularly trade relations,” Urakin noted.
According to him, sociological surveys can serve as a practical tool for government agencies, diplomatic missions, and the business community in determining the direction of bilateral relations.
Oleksandr Pozniy, director of the research firm Active Group, also highlighted the need to strengthen the economic component of international cooperation.
“We need to do more than just raise general awareness. Businesses and government agencies need to work more actively on developing bilateral relations,” Pozniy noted.
The survey was conducted in August 2026 using self-administered online questionnaires via the SunFlowerSociology panel. A total of 800 Ukrainian citizens aged 18 and older were surveyed. The sample is representative by age, gender, and region; the stated maximum theoretical margin of error is ±3.5 percentage points. Previous waves of the survey were conducted in August 2025 and March 2026.
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European Union countries remain in first place in terms of the share of responses from Ukrainians to the question of who contributes most to achieving peace in Ukraine. In August 2026, 44.6% of respondents named EU countries, 25.2% named the U.S., and 23.3% named the United Kingdom. This is evidenced by the results of the third wave of a survey on Ukrainians’ attitudes toward countries around the world, conducted by Active Group in collaboration with Experts Club, according to the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center.
Compared to March 2026, the ratings have changed significantly. In the spring, 63.4% of respondents named EU countries in this context, 53.8% named the United Kingdom, and 29.6% named the United States. In August, the figures for the EU and the United Kingdom fell by 18.8 and 30.5 percentage points, respectively, while the figure for the United States changed much less—by 4.4 percentage points.
At the same time, compared to August 2025, the share of respondents who named EU countries increased slightly—from 42% to 44.6%. The figure for the U.S. was 25.8% at that time, and for the UK, 12.8%. Thus, the trend in assessments of the UK remains the most dramatic: 12.8% in August 2025, 53.8% in March 2026, and 23.3% in August of this year.
Perceptions of the role of other major powers remain significantly lower. In August 2026, 4.1% of respondents cited China, compared to 3.5% in March and 1.3% a year earlier. The figure for India was 1.8%, and for Brazil, 1%.
Oleksandr Pozniy, director of the research firm Active Group, emphasized that public perceptions of countries should be considered alongside the level of awareness and the actual development of bilateral relations.
“We need to do more than just raise general awareness. First and foremost, business associations, the Ministry of Economy, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs must work to develop bilateral relations and improve the balance. Given that Ukraine already lacks funding and we are essentially living off foreign loans, we need to expand cooperation with countries where we can achieve a positive balance,” Pozniy noted.
The survey was conducted in August 2026 using self-administered online questionnaires on the SunFlowerSociology panel. It involved 800 Ukrainian citizens aged 18 and older. According to the organizers, the sample is representative in terms of age, gender, and region, and the stated maximum theoretical statistical margin of error is ±3.5 percentage points. This is the third wave of the study, following surveys conducted in August 2025 and March 2026.
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According to Experts.news, the European Commission has proposed new rules for the recognition of professional qualifications, which are expected to significantly simplify the process of finding employment in the EU for professionals with degrees obtained outside the European Union, particularly in Ukraine.
The changes are part of the Fair Labor Mobility Package, presented on September 15, 2026, which aims to increase worker mobility and reduce the shortage of skilled workers in EU countries.
One of the key innovations is the introduction of uniform rules for third-country nationals and EU citizens who have obtained professional qualifications outside the European Union. Currently, such professionals must go through procedures in accordance with the national rules of a specific EU country.
The European Commission proposes setting clear deadlines for processing documents, digitizing procedures, and creating a single European access point available in all EU languages. New and recently obtained qualifications are planned to be issued in a standardized digital format with the option to store them in the European Digital Identity Wallet.
A separate, free Europass tool will allow employers to compare qualifications obtained in different countries.
The proposed directive on the recognition of third-country nationals’ qualifications may be of particular importance to Ukrainians. It is intended to make procedures for such professionals faster and more transparent, regardless of where the qualification was obtained.
For seven regulated professions for which common minimum training standards already exist in the EU, the proposal provides for the automatic recognition of diplomas issued by educational institutions outside the EU, provided these institutions are accredited by European quality assurance bodies.
These professions include doctors, nurses, dentists, midwives, pharmacists, veterinarians, and architects.
However, automatic recognition will not apply to just any foreign diploma: the curriculum and the institution must meet established European requirements.
The European Commission also plans to shorten the timeframes for professional recognition. Under the new system, the procedure should take no more than 11 weeks, and for the automatic recognition of regulated professions, up to five weeks.
At the same time, simplified diploma recognition will not, in and of itself, grant the right to enter or reside in the EU. Member states will retain control over immigration rules and requirements for admitting foreigners to professional practice.
The package also provides for the creation of a European Social Security Pass, the strengthening of the European Labor Authority, and the wider use of digital documents when workers move between EU countries.
According to the European Commission’s estimates, once fully implemented, the reform could generate an economic impact of approximately €5 billion by 2040 by streamlining procedures, reducing administrative costs, and combating fraud.
The proposals still need to go through the EU legislative process. Simplified recognition of qualifications obtained outside the European Union is planned to be introduced within two years after the adoption of the relevant legislation, while digital qualifications and simplified procedures for regulated professions are to be implemented within three years.
For Ukraine, these changes are potentially of particular significance due to the large number of Ukrainian citizens currently living and working in EU countries. The difficulty of verifying education and professional qualifications remains one of the barriers to migrants finding employment in their field of expertise.
According to the Serbian business media outlet Parametar, housing prices in the European Union rose by 4.7% in the second quarter of 2026 compared to the same period last year, and by 4.0% in the eurozone, according to Eurostat data published on October 1.
Compared to the first quarter of this year, housing prices in the EU rose by another 1.2%, and in the eurozone by 1.1%.
Year-over-year price increases were recorded in 23 EU countries for which data is available. Prices fell in only three countries: Finland (by 2.7%), Luxembourg (by 2.2%), and France (by 0.8%).
Portugal led the EU in housing price growth, with prices rising 16.5% over the year. Bulgaria ranked second with a 15.5% increase, and Lithuania third with 14.3%.
High growth rates also persisted in Slovakia, where housing prices rose by 13.6%, Croatia—by 12.7%, and Spain and Romania—by 12.1% each.
In Latvia, the increase was 11.4%; in Hungary, 10.2%; in Denmark, 9.4%; in Slovenia, 9.1%; in the Czech Republic, 8.6%; and in Cyprus, 7.9%.
More moderate price growth was observed in Malta—6.9%, in Poland—6.3%, Ireland—6%, Estonia—5.8%, Austria—5.1%, Sweden—4.8%, the Netherlands—4.3%, and Italy—4%.
Some of the lowest positive figures were recorded in Belgium—2.1%—and Germany—just 0.6%.
Compared to housing prices in the first quarter of 2026, prices rose the fastest in Lithuania—by 5%, Bulgaria—by 4.5%, and Romania—by 4.4%. Quarterly declines were observed only in Hungary—by 1.4%—and France—by 0.8%.
Eurostat calculates the House Price Index based on the cost of residential real estate purchased by households, including both new construction and existing homes.
Turkey intends to participate in the Caspian Sea–Black Sea–Europe energy corridor (Black Sea Energy) project, which is designed to ensure the supply of “green” electricity from the South Caucasus to the European Union market, said Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar.
According to him, the project involves connecting the power grids of Azerbaijan and Georgia, followed by the transmission of electricity via an undersea cable across the Black Sea to Romania and on to Hungary. At the invitation of the Azerbaijani side, Turkey expressed its intention to join the initiative and supported its implementation.
Ankara’s interest in the project is also confirmed by preliminary negotiations with Baku. On August 1, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Energy Parviz Shahbazov reported following a meeting with Bayraktar in Istanbul that the parties had discussed Turkey’s potential cooperation within the framework of the “Caspian–Black Sea–Europe” energy corridor and had also agreed to accelerate the implementation of other joint energy projects.
According to Bayraktar, cooperation between Turkey and Azerbaijan in the electricity sector is currently developing along three fronts.
The first involves integrating Nakhchivan’s power grid with Turkey’s and organizing electricity exchanges. In the future, this route could be connected to the main territory of Azerbaijan via the Zangezur Corridor.
The second direction is the “green” energy corridor connecting Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, and Bulgaria. It is intended to facilitate the export of renewable electricity generated in Azerbaijan through Georgia and Turkey to Bulgaria and onward to EU markets. In August 2026, Baku and Ankara separately agreed to accelerate the implementation of this project.
The third initiative is Black Sea Energy itself. The main participants in the project remain Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania, and Hungary. The four countries signed an agreement on strategic partnership in the development and transmission of “green” energy in Bucharest on December 17, 2022. The European Union supports the project, viewing it as a new supply route for renewable electricity from the South Caucasus to the EU.
In July 2026, the project moved to the next phase of implementation following the completion and approval of feasibility studies. The project operator, Green Energy Corridor Power Company, has begun developing the conceptual design, engineering solutions, and procurement strategy.
According to recent statements by the Azerbaijani side, the plan is to gradually export up to 3.9–4 GW of green electricity through the corridor, starting in 2032. The project has also been included in the TYNDP 2026 portfolio of the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E).
A key infrastructure element will be a high-voltage subsea direct-current cable between Georgia and Romania. The preliminary construction cost is estimated at approximately 3.5 billion euros, with a construction period of three to four years. It was previously reported that up to 2.3 billion euros in European funding could be secured. However, in the latest Global Gateway documents, 2.3 billion euros is also cited as the indicative investment amount for the strategic Black Sea electricity interconnector, so the final financing structure for the project is still to be finalized.
The European Commission views Black Sea Energy as one of the tools for diversifying the EU’s energy supply and integrating renewable generation from the South Caucasus. The project is intended to connect the Caspian Sea region to the European power grid via Georgia and Romania, while also strengthening the energy resilience of the participating countries.
If Turkey joins, the project will take on additional significance, as Ankara will be able to participate in several parallel transmission routes for Azerbaijani “green” electricity to Europe—via the Black Sea and via the Turkey–Bulgaria overland corridor.
