Business news from Ukraine

Sweden is among the countries toward which Ukrainians demonstrate consistent sympathy and almost complete absence of criticism. These conclusions were drawn based on the results of a sociological survey conducted by Active Group in cooperation with the Experts Club information and analytical center in April 2025.

According to the survey results, 70.3% of respondents have a positive attitude toward Sweden (35.3% — mostly positive, 35% — completely positive). Only 1.9% gave a negative assessment (1.5% — mostly negative, 0.4% — completely negative). Another 25.4% of Ukrainians took a neutral position, and 2.4% abstained from answering.

“The high level of positive attitudes toward Sweden can be explained by its consistent policy of supporting democracy, human rights, and assistance to Ukraine, in particular humanitarian and security assistance,” said Oleksandr Pozniy, co-founder of Active Group.

The results indicate that Sweden, like other Northern European countries, is shaping an image in Ukraine as a reliable partner with clear principles.

The presentation of the study is available at the link.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.