According to the results of a survey conducted by the research company Active Group and the Experts Club think tank, 34.1% of respondents described a healthy lifestyle as “very important,” 53.1% as “somewhat important,” 10.8% — “somewhat unimportant,” and 2.1% — “not important at all.” The data was presented at a press conference at the Interfax-Ukraine press center.
“The high value placed on a healthy lifestyle is an opportunity for the system to shift its focus toward prevention and early diagnosis,” said Maksym Urakin.
“People are ready to change their habits, but they need accessible tools—consultations, screenings, and clear recommendations,” added Oleksandr Pozniy.
The study was conducted on the SunFlowerSociology online panel using a representative sample in February 2026. The survey involved 1,000 respondents from a representative sample across all regions of Ukraine, excluding temporarily occupied territories.
ACTIVE GROUP, EXPERTS CLUB, Healthy Lifestyle, Pozniy, URAKIN
The Experts Club analytical center has released a new video study devoted to the dynamics of public debt of countries around the world in relation to GDP in 1950-2025. The visualization shows how the debt burden in different economies has changed over the past 75 years – from post-war recovery and debt crises to the pandemic and the current stage of expensive borrowing. The final slide focuses on the situation in 2025, when Ukraine, according to the international methodology used in the study, also entered the group of 20 countries with the highest debt burden.
The study is based on IMF DataMapper and World Economic Outlook data for October 2025 using the general government gross debt indicator. According to IMF estimates, the global level of public debt in 2025 reached 96.8% of world GDP, while for advanced economies the average figure was 111.8% of GDP. This means that the debt burden remains systemically high not only in vulnerable countries, but also in the world’s largest economies.
According to the data used in the video, in 2025 the countries with the highest debt burden included primarily Sudan, Japan, Singapore, Greece, Bahrain, the Maldives, and Italy. The same group also included the United States, France, and Canada, while Ukraine, with an indicator of about 108.6-110% of GDP, also found itself in the upper part of the global anti-ranking and, according to these estimates, entered approximately the first dozen countries by the debt-to-GDP ratio. For comparison, the database for 2025 indicates a level of 108.6% of GDP for Ukraine, 128.7% for the United States, 119.6% for France, 138.3% for Italy, and 226.8% for Japan; in summary international tables based on the same IMF estimates, similar values appear, where Ukraine is shown at around 110% of GDP.
For Ukraine, this result is especially indicative. According to IMF DataMapper, in 2025 the total public debt of the general government sector reached 108.6% of GDP. VoxUkraine, analyzing the same IMF database, notes that this is the highest level for the entire observation period for Ukraine. At the same time, the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine reported that state and state-guaranteed debt at the end of 2025 amounted to 98.4% of GDP. The difference is explained by methodology: IMF international comparisons use the broader general government gross debt indicator, so it is precisely this indicator that is suitable for the global ranking shown in the Experts Club study.
“Our study shows not just the size of the debt, but the country’s place in the global system of risks. In Ukraine’s case, entry into the group of countries with the highest debt burden is a direct consequence of the war, the large-scale need for budget financing, and dependence on external support. But at the same time, it is also a reminder that after the end of the war one of the key challenges will be not only the recovery of the economy, but also the building of a long-term debt management strategy,” noted Experts Club founder and PhD in Economics Maksym Urakin.
In a broader context, the video demonstrates that high debt is no longer an exception only for crisis states. Among the countries with the largest debt burden today are both economies with prolonged structural imbalances and developed states with deep domestic capital markets. That is why the comparison of 1950 and 2025 shows the main shift: the debt model has become the norm of the global economy, while the issue of debt sustainability now depends not only on its size, but also on the cost of servicing, GDP growth rates, the structure of creditors, and the state’s ability to maintain investor confidence.
For Ukraine, based on the 2025 data, the main conclusion of the study is that the country has already crossed the psychological threshold of 100% of GDP according to the international methodology and entered the global group of the most highly indebted states. This does not mean an automatic debt crisis, but it does mean that the issue of post-war fiscal sustainability, restructuring of liabilities, the cost of new financing, and acceleration of economic growth will be among the central topics of economic policy in the coming years.
The price of May Brent futures on the London ICE Futures exchange rose by $6.09 (6.62%) to $98.07 per barrel at 7:12 a.m. Earlier during the session, Brent again exceeded $100 per barrel. On Wednesday, the contract rose in price by $4.18 (4.8%) to $91.98 per barrel.
WTI crude oil futures for April delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) are currently up $5.29 (6.06%) to $92.54 per barrel. At the end of the previous session, the value of these contracts rose by $3.8 (4.6%) to $87.25 per barrel.
An Iranian underwater drone attacked two oil tankers in the Persian Gulf overnight, Iranian state television IRIB reported. Earlier, a source in the Iraqi security service in Basra told CNN that a ship loaded with explosives rammed into two tankers at once.
CNN specifies that the ships Zefyros, flying the Maltese flag, and Safesea Vishnu, flying the Marshall Islands flag, were on fire. The registered owner of the Safesea Vishnu is the American company Safesea Transport Inc., while the owner of the Zefyros is based in Greece.
Iraq’s oil ports have been suspended following the fire, according to Farhan al-Fartousi, head of the Iraqi Ports Authority. He said one person had died and 38 others had been rescued.
Meanwhile, Oman has ordered ships to leave the Mina al-Fahal export terminal as a precaution, Bloomberg reports, citing informed sources. According to Kpler, about 1 million barrels of oil were exported from the terminal daily.
Earlier, a representative of the Iranian armed forces said that the world should prepare for oil at $200 per barrel, as fuel prices depend on security in the region, and Israel and the US have violated this security with their actions.
“The only thing that could lead to a long-term decline in prices is the resumption of oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz,” ING analysts wrote. “If this does not happen, we can expect new highs.”
Oil prices rose yesterday, despite the fact that OPEC member countries agreed to supply a record 400 million barrels from their strategic reserves to the world market. The timing of the release of reserves will depend on the circumstances in each individual country. The total strategic oil reserves of IEA member countries exceed 1.2 billion barrels, with another 600 million barrels in state-owned industrial reserves.
“The release of IEA oil reserves may only be a temporary solution, while supply disruptions and significant production cuts in some Middle Eastern countries could cause a long-term supply shortage,” said Tina Teng of Moomoo ANZ.
On Wednesday, it was also reported that commercial oil reserves in the US rose by 3.824 million barrels last week to a maximum of 443.1 million barrels since May 2025. Experts had forecast an average increase of 1.1 million barrels, according to Trading Economics.
Earlier, the Experts Club information and analytical center released a video dedicated to global oil production in 1900–2024 and the leading producing countries.
Brent, EXPERTS CLUB, IRAN, OIL, TANKER
In January-February of this year, Ukrainian enterprises reduced imports of copper and copper products in monetary terms by 11.6% compared to the same period last year, to $26.757 million.
According to customs statistics released by the State Customs Service of Ukraine on Tuesday, exports of copper and copper products during the specified period decreased by 14.6% to $12.213 million.
In February, copper imports amounted to $15.724 million, while exports amounted to $7.260 million.
As reported, in 2025, Ukrainian enterprises increased imports of copper and copper products in monetary terms by 23.2% compared to the previous year, to $173.453 million, while exports of copper and copper products grew by 17.7%, to $103.848 million.
Copper is widely used in electrical engineering, in the production of pipes, for creating alloys, in medicine, and in other industries.
Earlier, the Experts Club information and analytical center released a video dedicated to global copper production and leading producing countries – https://youtube.com/shorts/_h8iU50z8C0?si=a-XkgGEfeUxseQNa
The Experts Club think tank has analyzed European countries’ responses to the fuel crisis. European countries’ responses to the 2026 fuel crisis have so far been mixed. Some governments are directly intervening in the fuel market by restricting exports, introducing price caps, and releasing reserves. Others are limiting themselves to price monitoring and coordination at the EU and G7 levels, trying not to provoke a shortage with even tougher measures.
Serbia has chosen the most aggressive form of intervention. The authorities have temporarily suspended exports of oil, gasoline, and diesel until March 19, explaining that this is to protect the domestic market from shortages and price spikes. Reuters notes that Serbia had already been controlling fuel prices since February 2022, meaning that the current decision is a continuation of a more interventionist regulatory model.
Hungary has opted for a mixed scenario. On the one hand, Budapest has introduced a price cap on gasoline and diesel for cars registered in Hungary. On the other hand, the government decided to use state reserves, and the Minister of Economy, according to Hungarian media reports, also announced a reduction in excise duties and a ban on the export of some petroleum products. This is a typical example of a combined anti-crisis scheme, where the authorities simultaneously try to keep retail prices down and maintain the physical availability of fuel on the market.
Croatia has chosen a softer approach—limiting maximum retail prices for a two-week period. The government has set a maximum price of EUR1.50 per liter for Eurosuper, EUR1.55 for diesel, and EUR0.89 for “blue diesel,” and has also limited prices for liquefied gas. Zagreb has stated outright that without this measure, diesel would cost EUR 1.72 per liter and gasoline EUR 1.55. This means that Croatia is trying not to isolate the market, but to soften the final effect on households and businesses.
Slovakia and, to some extent, the Czech Republic have focused not on retail regulation but on supporting physical supplies. After the failure of supplies via Druzhba, Slovakia approved the use of 250,000 tons of oil from strategic reserves for refining, while Hungary and Slovakia began negotiations on the use of reserves back in February. The Czech Republic, in turn, announced its readiness to send small volumes of oil to Slovakia via the eastern Druzhba pipeline.
The UK has not yet introduced price caps or export bans. Treasury Secretary Rachel Reeves said the government was monitoring the situation closely and warned retailers that it would not allow “excessive profits” amid the oil shock. This approach is closer to a supervisory model: the authorities are signaling to the market that they are ready to tighten control over the behavior of sellers, but are not moving to direct price administration.
At the pan-European level, caution prevails for now. The G7 and the EU are discussing possible measures, including the use of strategic reserves, tax changes, and carbon price adjustments, but no decision on coordinated release of reserves has been made yet. France, as chair of the G7, says that “all options are on the table,” but acknowledges that there is no immediate shortage in Europe.
The European Commission, for its part, points to the structural vulnerability of Europe, which imports more than 90% of its oil and about 80% of its gas.
The main conclusion for Europe now is that countries are responding differently depending on their own vulnerability. Balkan and Central European countries, which are dependent on imports and specific supply routes, tend to act faster and more aggressively — through bans, price caps, and reserves. The large economies of Western Europe are still favoring coordination, market pressure, and preparing tools in case the situation worsens. But if the oil shock drags on, the current targeted measures could turn into a broader wave of European intervention in the fuel market.
