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.
Moldovan Prime Minister Vasile Tofan acknowledges the possibility of rolling blackouts in the country and describes the situation in the energy sector as difficult.
“Perhaps our calls for conservation will be heeded only after the first rolling blackouts. And perhaps it will be difficult for us to bring about such changes until we make the appropriate decision. Some believe it would be wiser not to buy expensive electricity on the exchange but to implement rolling blackouts—that is, a controlled blackout. Then, perhaps, when each of us has to spend half an hour in the evening without electricity, people will better understand the situation, and as a society we will become more economical in our energy consumption,” the prime minister said at a press conference on Thursday.
According to him, the situation in the energy sector remains difficult, and Moldova may lose the ability to purchase even emergency electricity (during peak hours), which it has been buying from Ukraine in recent days.
“Unfortunately, as of August 6, the power supply situation looks very bad—much worse than it is today. And tomorrow, most likely, or very probably, we will not be able to purchase emergency electricity, which costs 2–3 times as much. At least, that is the response we received from Ukrenergo,” Tofan emphasized.
He expressed surprise that on the evening of August 4, despite the government’s calls to conserve electricity, electricity consumption was higher than on the same day the previous week. He suggested that this might be due to objective factors, such as high temperatures.
“Nevertheless, Moldova must change its consumption habits by avoiding the use of energy-intensive household appliances during peak hours, from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. I do not rule out that power outages could make us more disciplined in this regard,” Tofan said.
Temporary energy-saving measures during peak hours have been in effect in Moldova since August 4. According to the commission’s decision, government agencies, retail establishments, economic entities, and other categories of consumers are required to take energy-saving measures from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
On July 28, the Moldovan government declared a 30-day state of heightened readiness in the energy and hydrology sectors. This decision was made in light of risks associated with low water levels in the Dniester River.
Nova Post announced the opening of a new 3,800-square-meter logistics hub near Chisinau (Moldova) with a throughput capacity of up to 10,000 packages per hour, having invested EUR800,000 in the facility.
According to the company’s press release on Tuesday, the new terminal operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and handles all processes—from sorting shipments to customs clearance.
Among other things, Cargo Branch No. 25 operates on the hub’s premises, handling shipments weighing over 30 kg.
It is noted that the terminal handles all types of shipments—from documents and parcels to oversized cargo.
Currently, an average of 35,000 parcels pass through the terminal daily, and the most recent record was 80,000 shipments in a single day.
“Shipment volumes in Moldova are steadily growing, and consolidating all processes in one location has enabled us to meet this demand much more efficiently,” said Serhii Shapran, CEO of Nova Post in Moldova, as quoted in the press release.
According to him, thanks to the opening of the new terminal, the company has reduced the average delivery time by two hours. Consequently, shipments to intercity destinations are dispatched twice a day, and to local branches every 2.5 hours.
The company added that the first fulfillment hub has been opened at the terminal, and a Ukrainian brand became one of its first clients.
Nova Post emphasized that the company plans to further develop its logistics infrastructure in Moldova, specifically by launching a new sorting center in Bălți.
