Ukrainians’ attitudes toward the Netherlands in March 2026 are characterized by one of the highest levels of positive perception among all countries surveyed. According to the results of a sociological survey conducted in March 2026 by the research company Active Group in collaboration with the Experts Club information and analytical center, 72.7% of respondents describe their attitude as positive, which is significantly higher compared to 63.3% in August 2025. At the same time, the share of negative assessments dropped from 2.3% to 1.2%, which effectively indicates an almost complete absence of critical sentiment.
A breakdown of the results shows that 34.3% of respondents have a “completely positive” attitude toward the Netherlands, while another 38.5% have a “mostly positive” one. The share of neutral assessments stands at 24.2%, which is a relatively low figure compared to other countries. Negative assessments are minimal: 0.7% are “mostly negative” and 0.5% are “completely negative,” while 1.9% of respondents were undecided.
A comparison with the previous period demonstrates not only an increase in positive perceptions but also a further “cleansing” of public opinion of negative assessments. This trend is significant, as the Netherlands is among the countries with the highest level of stable support within Ukrainian society.
Unlike many other countries, where a significant portion of respondents hold a neutral position, in the case of the Netherlands, a clearly formed positive attitude dominates. This means that the country has a distinct and clear image in the perception of Ukrainians, one associated with reliability and predictability.
The increase in positive ratings by more than 9 percentage points indicates growing trust and a strengthening of the Netherlands’ image. At the same time, the decrease in the already low level of negative responses suggests the absence of significant factors that could shape a critical perception.
“Ukrainians quite clearly distinguish between countries toward which they have formed a stable positive attitude, and the Netherlands belongs precisely to this group. Where a country has a clear position and consistency in its interactions, we see not just high ratings, but their continued growth. This means that public opinion reacts not to specific situations, but to systemic signals,” noted Oleksandr Pozniy, director of the research company Active Group.
Thus, the survey results indicate that the Netherlands is consolidating its status as a country with one of the best images in Ukraine. A high level of positive sentiment, minimal negative ratings, and stable growth dynamics form the basis for further strengthening bilateral relations in both the social and economic spheres.
According to a study conducted by the Experts Club information and analytical center based on data from the State Customs Service, the Netherlands ranks eleventh in terms of total trade in goods with Ukraine, amounting to $3.01 billion. This is one of the few countries in the upper part of the ranking where Ukraine has a trade surplus, as exports of Ukrainian goods exceed imports.
The study was presented at the Interfax-Ukraine press center; the video can be viewed on the agency’s YouTube channel. The full version of the study can be found at this link on the Experts Club analytical center’s website.
ACTIVE GROUP, EXPERTS CLUB, NETHERLANDS, Pozniy, SOCIOLOGY, SURVEY, UKRAINE, URAKIN
Numbeo has published its Quality of Life Index for 2026, ranking the quality of life in 89 countries and 304 cities across the world based on a combination of factors including purchasing power, pollution levels, house price to income ratio, cost of living, safety, healthcare quality, travel time to work and climate.
According to the ranking, the top 5 countries for quality of life were the Netherlands, Denmark, Luxembourg, Oman and Switzerland, while the top 10 also included Finland, Austria, Germany, Iceland and Norway.
The Netherlands is also leading in the ranking of cities – the first places were taken by The Hague, Utrecht and Eindhoven, followed by Groningen and Rotterdam; the top ten also included Luxembourg, Vienna, Amsterdam, Ghent and Nuremberg.
Ukraine, as noted in the publication, is located in 68th place directly above Russia.
The Netherlands has increased its total financial assistance to Ukraine through the Energy Support Fund to EUR100 million, allocating additional funds to strengthen energy resilience and support critical infrastructure, according to First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal.
“The Netherlands has increased its total assistance provided through the Ukraine Energy Support Fund to EUR 100 million. The Netherlands will allocate an additional EUR 35 million,” according to a statement posted on social media.
The purpose of the additional funding is to ensure a stable power supply to critical infrastructure facilities after Russian attacks, in particular by installing solar power plants on the roofs of buildings as part of the “Ray of Hope” initiative.
In 2025, Ukraine imported 12.85 thousand tons of cut flowers, which is 8.5% more than in 2024 (11.84 thousand tons), according to the State Customs Service.
According to the published statistics, in monetary terms, the volume of imports last year increased by 14.2% to $64.48 million, compared to $56.46 million a year ago.
The Netherlands remains the undisputed leader in supplies, providing almost three-quarters of the Ukrainian market, or 72.4% of supplies in monetary terms, or $46.68 million. Ecuador (12.8%, or $8.25 million) and Kenya (6.2%, or $4.00 million) also lead in flower supplies to Ukraine. In 2024, this trio remained the same with similar shares of supplies: the Netherlands (71.1%), Ecuador (13.5%), and Kenya (5.8%).
Flower exports from Ukraine in 2025 remained symbolic, amounting to only $184,000 at the end of the year, which is 12.5% less than in 2024 ($210,000). The main buyers of Ukrainian flowers were Moldova (59% or $108,600), Georgia (23% or $42,300), and Lithuania (10% or $18,400). A year ago, the composition of the top three buyers was slightly different: Moldova was also the leader (58% or $121,800), but it was followed by Poland (17% or $35,700) and Lithuania (12% or $25,200).
As reported, in 2021, Ukraine introduced a special three-year duty on imports of cut fresh roses, regardless of the country of origin and export. The duty rate in the first year of its application was 56%, in the second — 44.8%, and in the third — 35.84%.
Based on the results of the duty’s impact provided by the Ministry of Economy, the Interdepartmental Commission on International Trade (ICIT) concluded in 2025 that the application of special measures had a positive effect on the activities of domestic producers, but did not completely eliminate the consequences of the damage caused to them. Recommendations to extend the duty were forwarded to the ministry.
In January-December 2025, Ukraine imported 138,410 tons of potatoes, which is 5.3 times (+431.3%) more than in 2024, when 26,050 tons were imported into the country, according to the State Customs Service.
According to published statistics, in monetary terms, potato imports increased 4.9 times (+391.9%) to $74.82 million compared to $15.21 million a year earlier. The main imports came from Poland (38.2%), Egypt (14.1%), and the Netherlands (10.8%).
Potato exports from Ukraine during the same period amounted to 2.38 thousand tons, which is 11.2% less than in 2024 (2.68 thousand tons). At the same time, despite the physical reduction in export volumes, in monetary terms, the sale of Ukrainian potatoes abroad was more profitable and brought in 3.1% ($584 thousand) more revenue than in 2024 ($566 thousand). The main buyers were Moldova (60.2% of all exports), Azerbaijan (35.4%), and Georgia (1.2%).
As reported, Ukraine had a poor potato harvest in the 2024 season due to drought, extremely high temperatures, and a lack of seed material.
Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture Taras Vysotsky noted in a podcast by the Center for Economic Strategies that the 2025 vegetable harvest in Ukraine is sufficient and even larger than last year, so no shortage is expected in this sector.
Commenting on Ukraine’s potato imports in 2024-2025, Mykola Furdyga, director of the Potato Institute, explained that this record volume of imports was caused by the unusual weather conditions in 2024. Therefore, the state was forced to import potatoes to meet domestic food needs. European countries were eager to supply Ukraine with their products due to their attractive prices. At the same time, potatoes from Egypt did not dominate the market but occupied their traditional niche in the off-season (February-March – IF-U). In addition, Ukraine traditionally imports seed potatoes from leading breeding companies in the European Union.
Furdyga noted that since the beginning of the war, there has been a trend in Ukraine toward reducing potato cultivation in households and expanding production areas for this crop in farms and even in agricultural holdings. He explained this trend by the departure of the population from villages abroad and mobilization.
The Romanian Ministry of Defense signed a contract with the Dutch government to purchase 18 F-16 Fighting Falcon multi-role fighter jets and related equipment.
According to the ministry, the agreement was signed on Monday, November 3. The purchased aircraft will be used exclusively for training at the European F-16 Training Center in Fetești, which has become a regional training center for pilots from NATO member countries and Alliance partners.
“The purchase is being made for a symbolic price of one euro. This is a smart investment in training, cooperation, and the future,” the Romanian Ministry of Defense said.
According to the Romanian side, the transfer of the aircraft is intended to strengthen the training capabilities of allied countries’ pilots and develop defense cooperation in the region.
