According to Experts Club, Moldova continues to be viewed predominantly positively by Ukrainians: in August 2026, 55.4% of respondents had a positive attitude toward the country, while 7.3% had a negative one. At the same time, more than a third of those surveyed—35.6%—hold a neutral view. Compared to March, the share of positive assessments has decreased slightly, reports the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center.
According to the results of the August survey, 20.4% of Ukrainians view Moldova entirely positively, and 35% view it mostly positively. A neutral attitude was expressed by 35.6% of respondents. 6.1% view the country mostly negatively, 1.2% completely negatively, and another 1.8% were undecided.
According to the rounded data in the table, the balance of positive and negative assessments is approximately plus 48.1 percentage points. Thus, positive attitudes toward Moldova outnumber negative ones by more than seven to one. Among the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, it is second only to the Czech Republic in terms of the balance of assessments.
In March 2026, 60.1% of respondents had a positive attitude toward Moldova: 22.8% viewed it entirely positively and 37.3% viewed it mostly positively. A neutral stance was held by 32.9% of respondents, 5.4% viewed the country negatively, and another 1.6% were undecided.
Thus, over the course of five months, the share of positive responses decreased by 4.7 percentage points—from 60.1% to 55.4%. Negative assessments increased by 1.9 percentage points, while the neutral segment grew by 2.7 percentage points. The balance between positive and negative attitudes decreased from approximately plus 54.7 to plus 48.1 percentage points, respectively.
At the same time, Moldova is of great importance to Ukraine not only as a neighboring country but also as a sales market. In the first half of 2026, Ukraine’s trade surplus with Moldova amounted to approximately $467 million, placing it third among partners with the largest trade surpluses, after Spain and Egypt.
Maksym Urakin, founder of the Experts Club information and analytical center and a candidate of economic sciences, emphasizes that it is important for Ukraine not only to maintain a presence in such markets but also to transform the positive trade balance into long-term economic results.
“To establish a foothold in these markets, it is not enough to simply produce a competitive product. We need long-term contracts, affordable insurance against military and commercial risks, export credit facilities, systematic trade diplomacy, harmonization of veterinary and phytosanitary procedures, as well as investments in ports, railways, border infrastructure, and overseas logistics centers. A trade surplus should not merely be a statistical difference between exports and imports, but rather a steady flow of foreign exchange earnings, taxes, investments, and jobs in Ukraine,” Urakin noted.
He also identifies Moldova as one of the markets where Ukraine already has a favorable starting position: “The most promising ‘growth points’ for Ukraine are a combination of markets with an already positive trade balance—Egypt, Moldova, and, to some extent, EU trade hubs—along with tools that reduce barriers: agreements, standardization, and logistics,” Urakin emphasized.
Thus, the latest round of the survey reveals a slight decline in positive attitudes toward Moldova, but no change in the overall picture: more than half of Ukrainians view the country positively, the negative segment remains small, and economic relations are characterized by a significant trade surplus for Ukraine.
ACTIVE GROUP, CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE, EXPERTS CLUB, FOREIGN TRADE, international relations, MOLDOVA, PUBLIC OPINION, SOCIOLOGY, UKRAINE
The Moldovan government will discuss with Ukrainian officials the possibility of signing a long-term contract for the supply of natural gas, Moldovan Prime Minister Vasile Tofan said on the eve of his visit to Kyiv.
“Until now, there has been a moratorium on gas exports from Ukraine. Very recently, an initiative was launched to lift this moratorium, as Ukraine also needs budget revenue. Indeed, the country has a certain surplus of gas. It is produced in two regions: Poltava and Ivano-Frankivsk. The volumes available for export are not very large. I’ve heard figures of around 500 million cubic meters of gas, which is roughly the amount we’ll need during the gas year on the regulated market,” said Tofan, as quoted by the state agency “Moldpres.”
According to him, this issue will be discussed during his visit to Kyiv, which is planned for the near future.
The prime minister expects Kyiv to offer Chisinau a competitive price for gas if a long-term contract—for 3 to 5 years—is signed. “We need to understand that Ukraine will sell this gas at market price. The cost can be reduced through an agreement that provides for a longer purchase term. If we buy gas for immediate consumption, we pay the market price or a price close to it. However, Ukrainian gas could be cheaper because our transportation costs will be lower. If we manage to negotiate the terms and conclude an agreement for a longer purchase period—three, four, or five years—by offering them a purchase guarantee, then the price could indeed be lower,” Tofan noted.
On October 7, the Ukrainian government approved the partial resumption of natural gas exports, which had been suspended in 2022. According to the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, private producers will be able to export up to 15% of the volume of gas produced in the previous month. This mechanism will not apply to state-controlled companies and is intended to allow private producers to sell gas to foreign markets under regulated conditions.
As previously reported, Moldova entered another round of the energy crisis in August and September, causing domestic gas tariffs to rise 1.7-fold over two months; the country is also facing a sharp increase in the cost of imported petroleum products. A state of emergency in the energy sector has been in effect in Moldova since September 26.
In September, the Moldovan prime minister repeatedly stated the need to conclude long-term direct contracts for gas imports with producers, as opposed to exchange-traded forward contracts on the TTF hub in the Netherlands, under which gas has been supplied to Moldova since 2022. In particular, Tofan initiated negotiations on gas imports from the United States, Qatar, Azerbaijan, and Turkmenistan. He also stated that Moldova plans to conclude direct contracts for gas supplies in 2027 from Romania, specifically from the Neptun Deep field in the Black Sea.
The Czech Republic and Moldova have the highest net sentiment—the balance of positive and negative attitudes—among Ukrainians among the Central and Eastern European countries included in the study—56.2 and 48.2 percentage points, respectively. At the same time, the balance of attitudes toward Poland turned negative in August 2026, while assessments of Slovakia and Hungary improved significantly compared to previous waves. 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 Experts Club, according to the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center.
The Czech Republic received the highest share of positive assessments in this group—61.3%. 32.1% of respondents have a neutral attitude toward it, 5.1% have a negative attitude, and another 1.6% were undecided. The balance of positive and negative attitudes stands at 56.2 percentage points, compared to 64.4 percentage points in March 2026 and 58.7 percentage points in August 2025.
Regarding Moldova, 55.4% of respondents have a positive attitude, 35.6% are neutral, and 7.2% have a negative attitude. The balance stands at 48.2 percentage points, which is lower than the 54.7 percentage points recorded in March but higher than the 46.6 percentage points recorded in August of last year.
Regarding Romania, 45.2% of respondents expressed a positive attitude, 42.3% were neutral, and 9.8% were negative. The balance fell to 35.4 percentage points from 41.7 percentage points in March. In Bulgaria, positive assessments accounted for 42.7%, neutral ones for 47.6%, and negative ones for 7.4%, with the balance standing at 35.3 percentage points, compared to 51.5 percentage points in March.
Unlike most countries in the group, attitudes toward Slovakia showed a noticeable improvement. It is viewed positively by 40.7% of respondents, negatively by 12.1%, and neutrally by 44.4%. The balance rose to 28.6 percentage points from 16.1 percentage points in March 2026 and just 1.6 percentage points in August 2025.
The sharpest negative trend was recorded regarding Poland. 34.6% of Ukrainians view it positively, 37% negatively, and 25.4% neutrally. As a result, the net balance stands at minus 2.4 percentage points, whereas in March 2026 it was plus 41.7 percentage points, and in August 2025—plus 44 percentage points. The deterioration in attitudes toward Poland was one of the most notable shifts in the third wave of the survey.
Hungary remains in the negative zone: 22.9% of respondents expressed a positive attitude, 35.6% a negative one, and 37.4% a neutral one. At the same time, its balance improved to minus 12.7 percentage points compared to minus 33.6 percentage points in March and minus 39.7 percentage points in August 2025.
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 that public perception of countries must be analyzed in parallel with Ukraine’s actual economic ties.
“That is why it is very important for us to analyze our main partners. The first recommendation is to regularly showcase concrete projects, specific actions, and the presence here of foundations, embassies, teams, and diplomats in the humanitarian sphere and in science. We also need to use our sociological data to draw conclusions and strengthen our relations, particularly trade relations,” Urakin noted.
Oleksandr Pozniy, director of the research firm Active Group, highlighted the practical significance of the study’s findings for economic and diplomatic policy.
“We should focus on developing more than just general awareness. First and foremost, business associations, the Ministry of Economy, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs need to work to develop bilateral relations and improve the balance of trade. We must expand cooperation with countries where we can achieve a positive trade balance,” Pozniy noted.
The survey was conducted in August 2026 using self-administered online questionnaires in the SunFlowerSociology panel among 800 Ukrainian citizens aged 18 and older. According to the organizers, the sample is representative by age, gender, and region, with a maximum theoretical margin of error of 3.5%. This is the third wave of the study, following surveys conducted in August 2025 and March 2026.
ACTIVE GROUP, BULGARIA, Central Europe, CZECH REPUBLIC, EASTERN EUROPE, EXPERTS CLUB, HUNGARY, MOLDOVA, POLAND, Pozniy, ROMANIA, SLOVAKIA, SOCIOLOGY, UKRAINE, URAKIN
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Moldovan President Maia Sandu, and Romanian President Nicușor Dan will hold a trilateral meeting in Chisinau on Thursday, August 27, as part of the events marking the 35th anniversary of Moldova’s independence.
According to the schedule released by the Romanian Presidential Administration, the trilateral meeting between Zelenskyy, Sandu, and Dan is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. at the Presidential Palace in Chisinau. Following the talks, the three heads of state will make joint statements to the press.
The official program from the Moldovan side states that Sandu will meet with the Romanian president at 2:35 p.m. After bilateral talks, Sandu and Dan will take part in a military parade on the Great National Assembly Square, dedicated to the 35th anniversary of the country’s independence. The presidents are scheduled to begin their participation in the parade at 4:45 p.m.
The Moldovan president will meet with Zelenskyy at 6:00 p.m., followed by a trilateral meeting of delegations from Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania.
In the evening, Zelenskyy, Sandu, and Dan will also take part in festive events on the Great National Assembly Square. After 9:00 p.m., the three presidents are scheduled to address the public.
On August 27, Moldova celebrates the 35th anniversary of the declaration of independence. The country’s parliament adopted the Declaration of Independence on August 27, 1991. This year’s events are taking place under the slogan “Independence Unites Us.”
Official source: Office of the President of the Republic of Moldova, statement dated August 26, 2026.
Moldova and Kazakhstan remain the two largest markets for Ukrainian cheese: in January–July 2026, they accounted for 34.8% and 25.8% of Ukrainian exports, respectively, according to the Association of Milk Producers, citing data from the State Customs Service.
Germany became the third-largest buyer with a share of 13.1%.
Thus, Moldova and Kazakhstan together account for 60.6% of foreign demand for Ukrainian cheese among the markets listed, and the combined share of the three main markets reaches 73.7%, according to calculations based on data from the Milk Producers Association.
In total, Ukraine exported 8,200 metric tons of cheese over the first seven months of 2026, which is only 1.2% more than the figure for the same period last year.
Export revenue totaled $37.4 million, increasing by only 0.5%.
This means that the value of exports is growing even more slowly than their physical volume. The estimated average price of exported products was approximately $4,560 per metric ton and remained virtually unchanged year-over-year.
At the same time, Ukraine is increasing its cheese imports at a significantly faster rate. From January through July, 28.3 thousand metric tons of cheese were imported into the country—24.7% more than a year earlier—with a total value of $168.8 million.
As a result, Ukrainian cheese exports account for less than one-third of the volume of imports, and their geographic distribution remains fairly concentrated around several key markets.
Germany’s presence in both directions of trade is particularly telling: the country accounts for 16.3% of Ukraine’s cheese imports and is simultaneously the third-largest market for Ukrainian products, with a 13.1% share.
Source: Association of Milk Producers
Moldova is preparing proposals regarding the possible transfer of 20 locomotives to Ukraine; the parties are also working on opening a new joint border crossing and ensuring the unimpeded transit of Ukrainian cargo, said Mykola Kalashnyk, Ukraine’s Minister of Recovery, Infrastructure, and Transport.
“Our priority is unimpeded traffic from Odesa to the Danube region,” Kalashnik wrote following a working meeting in the Odesa region with Moldova’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development, Vladimir Bolea.
According to him, to ensure transit, it is necessary to guarantee free and safe passage along a 7-kilometer section of the M-15 highway near Palanka. The parties are also preparing to open a new joint border crossing point.
In the field of rail transport, Moldova is preparing proposals regarding the possibility of providing Ukraine with 20 locomotives. The parties are also working to ensure competitive freight rates and additional routes for Ukrainian cargo through Moldova to the Romanian port of Constanța.
Kalashnik noted that the agreements are expected to result in an increase in the number of routes, faster border crossings, and strengthened logistics links between Ukraine, Moldova, and the European Union.
