Latvia continues to enjoy a high level of positive perception among Ukrainians: in August 2026, 68.3% of respondents viewed the country positively, while only 3.9% viewed it negatively. Compared to March, the share of positive assessments has decreased slightly; however, the country continues to rank among the nations with the highest levels of public favor, according to the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center.
According to the results of the August survey, 39.7% of Ukrainians view Latvia entirely positively, and 28.6% view it mostly positively. 26.6% of respondents hold a neutral position. 2.5% view the country mostly negatively, 1.4% view it entirely negatively, and another 1.2% were undecided.
The balance of positive and negative assessments stands at plus 64.4 percentage points. Thus, positive attitudes toward Latvia outnumber negative ones by more than 17 times. Overall, the countries of Northern Europe and the Baltic states maintained some of the highest levels of positive attitudes among Ukrainians in the August wave of the survey.
In March 2026, 71.6% of respondents had a positive attitude toward Latvia: 42.4% viewed it entirely positively and 29.1% viewed it mostly positively. A neutral stance was held by 24.5% of respondents, negative assessments accounted for about 2.6%, and another 1.4% were undecided.
Thus, over five months, the share of positive assessments decreased by 3.3 percentage points—from 71.6% to 68.3%. The negative segment increased by approximately 1.3 percentage points, while the neutral segment rose by 2.1 percentage points. The balance between positive and negative attitudes decreased from approximately plus 69 to plus 64.4 percentage points.
At the same time, the most significant change occurred among respondents with the most strongly positive views: the share of entirely positive assessments decreased from 42.4% to 39.7%, while the share of mostly positive assessments remained close to previous levels—29.1% in March and 28.6% in August.
On an annual basis, the overall picture also remains stable. In August 2025, 72.7% of Ukrainians viewed Latvia positively, while 5.3% viewed it negatively. In other words, the current share of positive responses is slightly lower than a year ago, but the negative segment also remains smaller.
Oleksandr Pozniy, director of the research firm Active Group, commenting on the results of the previous survey wave regarding Latvia, attributed the high level of public support to the country’s consistent engagement with Ukraine.
“Ukrainians, in general, are very good at distinguishing between countries that demonstrate consistent support for Ukraine. At the same time, the level of positive attitude is shaped not only by political statements but also by concrete actions that people can experience firsthand. That is precisely why even small countries can have a very strong positive image,” Pozniy noted.
The latest wave of the survey shows a slight decline in positive assessments of Latvia, but no fundamental shift in public perception. More than two-thirds of Ukrainians continue to view the country positively, while the share of negative responses remains below 4%.
The survey was conducted in August 2026 using an online self-administered questionnaire via the SunFlowerSociology panel among 800 Ukrainian citizens aged 18 and older. The maximum theoretical margin of error for indicators at the 50% confidence level is ±3.5 percentage points.
ACTIVE GROUP, BALTIC STATES, EUROPEAN UNION, EXPERTS CLUB, international relations, LATVIA, Pozniy, PUBLIC OPINION, SOCIOLOGY, UKRAINE
AFINA Group LLC, owned by Ruslan Shostak and Valery Kiptik—co-owners of the EVA and Varus retail chains—has made its first shipment of products to Latvia, the company’s press office reported.
“Entering the Latvian market is another important step in the development of AFINA Group’s exports. It is fundamental for us that we are entering the European market with products of Ukrainian origin and are gradually expanding the geographic reach of our own brands. The first shipment to Latvia is already a full-scale commercial shipment, and our next task is to develop distribution and brand presence in local retail,” said Yevhen Svitailo, head of the export department at AFINA Group, as quoted by the press service.
Latvia has become the seventh country where AFINA Group has an export presence, following Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, and Estonia. Three of the company’s brands—SARMIX, Polar Shine, and Bubble Bunny (the European version of the Vukhashtik brand)—have entered the Latvian market simultaneously. The first shipment includes SARMIX and Bubble Bunny laundry detergents, as well as Polar Shine products.
OZZ has become AFINA Group’s partner in Latvia and will work on expanding the distribution of Ukrainian products in the local market. A presence in the DEPO retail chain is being considered as one of the most promising sales channels.
In addition, it is reported that AFINA Group is continuing negotiations with international partners and working to expand its sales geography so that “Made in Ukraine” products become increasingly visible on the shelves of foreign retailers.
As previously reported, in June 2026, AFINA Group resumed operations of the tower-type production line for laundry detergents at the facilities of PJSC “Vinnitsapobutkhim.” The planned capacity of the tower-type production line is 95 metric tons of dry laundry detergent per production shift.
In August 2025, AFINA Group won an online auction for the privatization of the nationalized PJSC “Vinnitsapobutkhim” with a bid of 608.136 million UAH against a starting price of 301.406 million UAH.
AFINA Group has been operating in the Ukrainian market for over 20 years. It is one of the leading operators in the fields of distribution, logistics, and private label development. The ultimate beneficiaries are Ruslan Shostak (47.5%), Valerii Kiptik (37.5%), Serhii Pototskyi (10%), and Serhii Zaikov (5%).
The company manufactures products under the “Vukhastik,” “SARMIX,” and “iFresh” brands. It serves key national and local retail chains through its own extensive network of branches and distribution logistics centers.
According to data from the YouControl analytical system, in the first quarter of 2026, AFINA Group LLC increased its revenue by 0.65%—to 1 billion 527 million 185 thousand UAH, while net profit amounted to 90.4 million UAH, compared to 156,087,000 UAH in the first half of 2025.
Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs has called for a complete halt to the issuance of tourist visas to Russian citizens at the European Union level. In his view, such restrictions are necessary to counter the hybrid threats faced by European states.
As reported by the Financial Times on October 18, 2026, Kulbergs, in an interview with the publication, called on all EU countries to tighten visa policies toward Russian citizens, emphasizing the need for a unified approach to security issues.
According to the Latvian prime minister, the country faces hybrid threats from Russia on a daily basis, including attempts to cross the border illegally, the use of migration flows to destabilize the situation, as well as risks of sabotage and intelligence activities.
Kulbergs noted that in 2026, Latvia expects to face the greatest migratory pressure on its borders in the past five years. He believes that restricting Russian tourist travel to Europe should be one of the preventive security measures.
The Latvian prime minister paid particular attention to France, Italy, and Spain, which remain the EU countries that issue the most Schengen visas to Russian citizens.
According to the European Commission, these three countries account for over 70% of the visas issued to Russians in 2025. In total, Russian citizens received over 600,000 Schengen visas last year.
The issue of further tightening visa restrictions was discussed during the European Council meeting in Brussels on October 15–16. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that the EU has the capacity to impose additional restrictions on private and business travel by Russian citizens.
According to the Financial Times, France is also considering significantly tightening visa restrictions, particularly regarding former Russian military personnel. Italy has shown a willingness to discuss additional measures, although these countries had previously not supported a complete ban on tourist visas.
At the same time, no pan-European decision to suspend the issuance of tourist visas to Russians has been adopted yet. The issuance of short-term Schengen visas remains the responsibility of the national authorities of EU member states, which review applications in accordance with the Common Visa Code.
Following the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the European Union has already imposed a series of restrictions. In particular, on September 12, 2022, the agreement on a simplified visa regime between the EU and Russia was suspended.
This has led to higher visa processing fees, stricter documentation requirements, and longer processing times for applications.
In November 2025, the European Commission further restricted the issuance of multiple-entry Schengen visas to Russian citizens residing in and applying from Russia, while maintaining certain exceptions.
In July 2026, the EU also adopted a legal framework to restrict the issuance of short-term visas to Russian military personnel and former combatants who participated in hostilities against Ukraine. The relevant provisions allow for exceptions on humanitarian grounds and other grounds specified by law.
According to European Commission estimates, the number of Schengen visas issued annually to Russian citizens has fallen from approximately 4 million before the start of the full-scale war to 618,000 in 2025.
Latvia’s proposal calls for further tightening of these restrictions and the effective cessation of Russian tourist travel to Schengen countries on the basis of new tourist visas.
Andris Kulbergs has led the Latvian government since May 28, 2026. Previously, he served as a member of the Saeima and worked on parliamentary committees on economic affairs, entrepreneurship, energy, and regional policy. Latvia is a member of the European Union and NATO and shares a border with Russia and Belarus.
Source: Financial Times, interview dated October 18, 2026
The Latvian government has donated 30 generators with capacities ranging from 80 to 650 kW to Chernihiv Oblast this year, and another 30 generators are expected to arrive, according to Vyacheslav Chaus, head of the regional military administration
“Chernihiv Oblast has received 30 generators from Latvia—this is the first batch of equipment under the agreements between the Latvian Ministry of Economy and our relevant department. In total, our Latvian partners will provide the region with 60 generators,” he wrote on Telegram on Sunday.
According to him, the first 30 generators have varying capacities, ranging from 80 to 650 kW.
The equipment was handed over by Andreis Pildegovics, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Latvia to Ukraine.
As First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Denys Shmyhal noted on Telegram on Sunday, since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine has received over 900 metric tons of power equipment from Latvian donors. “Power transformers and current transformers, surge arresters and insulators, tractors with drilling rigs, and wireless routers—all of this helps Ukrainian energy workers restore power facilities more quickly after Russian attacks,” he explained. \
According to Shmyhal, Latvia has also allocated 600,000 euros to the Ukrainian Energy Support Fund. One of the priority areas of cooperation is the supply of equipment from decommissioned power plants in Latvia. This equipment is crucial for carrying out repair and restoration work at Ukrainian energy facilities.
“We greatly appreciate the support of our Latvian friends,” Shmyhal emphasized.
According to Experts Club, Ukrainians’ attitudes toward the United Kingdom, the Scandinavian countries, and the Baltic states remain predominantly positive: in August 2026, the share of positive assessments for the countries included in the study ranged from 66.9% to 72.6%. At the same time, the balance between positive and negative attitudes toward all countries in this group has declined slightly compared to the previous survey wave in March 2026. This is evidenced by the results of a study conducted by Active Group and the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center, reports the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center.
The United Kingdom received the highest share of positive assessments in the group—72.6%. 18.6% of respondents had a neutral attitude toward it, 7% had a negative attitude, and another 1.8% were undecided. The balance of positive and negative assessments stands at 65.6 percentage points, compared to 68.8 percentage points in March 2026 and 70.3 percentage points in August 2025.
Seventy-two percent of Ukrainians view Norway positively, while only 2.7% view it negatively, resulting in a balance of 69.3 percentage points. In March, this balance stood at 70.8 percentage points, and in August of last year, at 76.4 percentage points. Sweden has 71.4% positive and only 0.8% negative assessments—its balance stands at 70.6 percentage points and is the highest among the countries presented on the slide. Overall, the study records approximately 67–73% positive ratings for the countries of Northwestern Europe and the Baltic states.
71.2% of respondents view Finland positively, 25.4% neutrally, and 2% negatively. The balance stands at 69.2 percentage points, down from 75.1 percentage points in March. Lithuania is viewed positively by 69.9% of respondents and negatively by 3.9%; the balance fell from 71.8 percentage points in March to 66 percentage points in August.
A positive attitude toward Latvia was expressed by 68.3% of respondents, a neutral one by 26.6%, and a negative one by 3.9%. Its balance stands at 64.4 percentage points, compared to 69 percentage points in March. For Denmark, the corresponding figures are 66.9% positive, 28.8% neutral, and 1.8% negative assessments, with a balance of 65.1 percentage points, compared to 68.7 percentage points in the previous survey wave.
Maksym Urakin, founder of the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center, deputy director of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency, and candidate of economic sciences, emphasized the importance of constant communication between foreign partners and Ukrainian society.
“The first recommendation is to regularly showcase concrete achievements and concrete actions. Second, be open to questions and inquiries from the media and the public,” Urakin noted. According to him, the results of sociological surveys can be used to strengthen bilateral relations, particularly trade relations.
Alexander Pozniy, director of the research company Active Group, also drew attention to the need to combine public perceptions of countries with the development of practical economic cooperation.
“We should do more than just raise general awareness. We need to expand cooperation with countries where we can maintain a positive balance,” Pozniy noted. He also emphasized the role of business associations and government agencies in developing bilateral economic ties.
Overall, the results show that Northern and Northwestern Europe, along with the Baltic states, continue to enjoy a high level of positive perception among Ukrainians. At the same time, the decline in the balance compared to March 2026 indicates that even regarding countries with traditionally high ratings, public opinion is not static. In the overall ranking, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Lithuania, and the United Kingdom were among the top ten countries with the highest net sentiment.
The survey was conducted in August 2026 using self-administered online questionnaires via the SunFlowerSociology panel. It included 800 Ukrainian citizens aged 18 and older. The sample is representative by age, gender, and region; the stated maximum theoretical 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.
ACTIVE GROUP, DENMARK, EXPERTS CLUB, FINLAND, LATVIA, LITHUANIA, NORWAY, SOCIOLOGY, SWEDEN, UKRAINE, UNITED KINGDOM
According to the Relocation project, members of the Latvian “Progressive” Party have submitted a bill to the Saeima to abolish the option of obtaining a temporary residence permit through investments of at least 150,000 euros in a state-run alternative investment fund.
Bill No. 1521/Lp14 was introduced on September 3, and on September 10, the Saeima voted 65 to 17 to refer it to parliamentary committees for review.
The new Immigration Act, which takes effect on September 15, 2026, allows a foreign national to obtain a temporary residence permit for up to five years, provided they invest at least 150,000 euros for a period of at least five years through a state-established alternative investment fund manager. Additionally, the investor must transfer 10,000 euros to the state budget.
The “Progressives”’ proposal calls for removing this provision from the law. The authors of the initiative explain their position by citing risks related to national security, anti-money laundering, compliance with sanctions regimes, and the country’s international reputation. This is the position of the bill’s sponsors, not a decision already adopted by the Saeima.
At the same time, the bill does not abolish another investment mechanism for obtaining a residence permit—through an investment in the capital of a Latvian company. Under current law, a foreign investor may apply for a temporary residence permit, specifically, by making an investment of 50,000 euros in a company with up to 50 employees and an annual turnover or balance sheet total of up to 10 million euros, or an investment of 100,000 euros in a larger company. An initial fee of 10,000 euros payable to the state budget is also required upon initial application.
The new Immigration Law was adopted by the Saeima on August 20 and entered into force on September 15, 2026. It replaced the previous regulations governing investment-based residence permits and, in particular, eliminated the previously used grounds related to real estate purchases and subordinated bank deposits.
The fund mechanism was included in the new law following lengthy discussions in the Saeima. In June, Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs returned the law to parliament for reconsideration and specifically drew attention to the provision allowing the issuance of a residence permit in exchange for an investment of 150,000 euros in an alternative investment fund and a contribution of 10,000 euros to the budget.
For now, this is only a legislative proposal. To eliminate the investment-based residence permit, the amendments must undergo further review and be adopted by the Saeima.
INVESTMENTS, LATVIA, MIGRATION, REAL ESTATE, RESIDENCE PERMIT
