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 has appointed Taras Kachka as Ukraine’s representative to the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community by presidential decree.
Decree No. 1034/2026 was published on the President’s website on Friday.
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
Ukrainian steelmakers reduced steel production by 19.8% in January–September of this year compared to the same period last year, down to 4.431 million metric tons.
According to information released Friday by the “Ukrmetallurgprom” association, 131,000 metric tons of steel were produced in September, 277,000 metric tons in August, 457,000 metric tons in July, 690,800 metric tons in June, in May—629,400 metric tons, in April—517,300 metric tons, in March—702,300 metric tons, in February—515,000 metric tons, and in January—511,100 metric tons.
In 2025, Ukraine’s steel mills reduced steel production by 2.2% compared to 2024, to 7.409 million metric tons.
In 2024, Ukraine increased steel production by 21.6% compared to 2023, to 7.575 million metric tons. In 2023, steel production fell by 0.6% to 6.228 million metric tons, and in 2022, it fell by 70.7% to 6.263 million metric tons.
In 2021, before the war, 21.366 million metric tons of steel were produced, or 103.6% of the 2020 level.
According to Experts Club, China ranked last among Ukraine’s 50 largest trading partners in terms of the balance of positive and negative attitudes among Ukrainians—in August 2026, the figure stood at minus 25.4 percentage points. The next lowest results were recorded for India and Hungary—minus 14.3 and minus 12.7 percentage points, respectively. 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, reports the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center.
The balance was defined as the difference between the shares of positive and negative assessments. Regarding China, 18.2% of respondents expressed a positive attitude, 43.6% a negative one, and another 33.9% a neutral one. Thus, China received the lowest score among all countries surveyed, despite the fact that in the first half of 2026, China was Ukraine’s largest trading partner with a trade volume of approximately $14.68 billion.
The top ten countries with the lowest scores also included Lebanon—minus 9.2 percentage points—and Poland—minus 2.3 percentage points. Serbia, Algeria, Libya, Vietnam, and Tunisia remained in the positive range, however, their scores were among the lowest among the countries surveyed: Serbia at plus 2.3 percentage points, Algeria at plus 2.2, Libya at plus 1.0, Vietnam at plus 9.4, and Tunisia at plus 11.0 percentage points.
The shift in attitudes toward Poland was particularly noticeable. In March 2026, the balance of positive and negative assessments stood at +41.7 percentage points, whereas in August it fell to –2.3 percentage points. A positive attitude toward Poland was expressed by 34.6% of respondents, a negative one by 37%, and a neutral one by 25.4%. At the same time, Poland remains one of Ukraine’s largest trading partners and the largest market for Ukrainian goods exports among individual countries in the first half of 2026.
Maksym Urakin, founder of the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center, deputy director of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency, and candidate of economic sciences, noted that the results of the sociological survey should be analyzed in conjunction with actual trade figures.
“Second, we must be open to questions and inquiries from the media and the public. We also need to make use of our sociological research,” Urakin noted. In his view, systematic communication and the demonstration of concrete results of cooperation can help governments better explain the nature of bilateral relations to Ukrainian society.
Oleksandr Pozniy, director of the research company Active Group, highlighted the need to combine public awareness with the practical development of economic ties.
“We need to do more than just raise general awareness. We must expand cooperation with countries where we can achieve a positive trade balance,” Pozniy noted. He emphasized the role of business associations, economic institutions, and diplomatic missions in developing bilateral ties, especially with markets where Ukraine can increase its exports.
Overall, the survey results show that the scale of trade and economic ties does not always correspond to public attitudes toward the respective country. China stands out as the most striking example: it has the highest trade volume among individual partners, yet is simultaneously associated with the lowest ratings among Ukrainians.
The survey was conducted in August 2026 using self-administered online questionnaires in the SunFlowerSociology panel among 800 Ukrainian citizens aged 18 and older. The sample is representative by age, gender, and region; the maximum theoretical margin of error for indicators at the 50% confidence level is ±3.5 percentage points. This is the third wave of the study, following surveys conducted in August 2025 and March 2026.
ACTIVE GROUP, CHINA, EXPERTS CLUB, FOREIGN TRADE, HUNGARY, INDIA, international relations, POLAND, SOCIOLOGY, UKRAINE
Oleksandr Sytaylo, mayor of Malyn in Zhytomyr Oblast, won the “Mayor of the Year (Small Towns)” award as part of the 30th anniversary nationwide “Person of the Year 2025” program.
Oleksandr Sytaylo was born on August 17, 1986, in the village of Ustynivka, Malyn District, Zhytomyr Oblast. In 2008, he graduated from the National University of State Tax Service of Ukraine with a degree in Finance.
He began his professional career in the banking sector, where he rose through the ranks from economist to deputy branch manager. He later worked in the private sector, notably at Lux.Net LLC, where he held positions ranging from economist to head of the sales department.
From 2017 to 2020, Sytaylo headed the “Ekoressurs” municipal enterprise of the Malyn City Council, overseeing municipal utilities.
He has been active in local government and civic and political life for over 15 years. He served as a member of the Malyn District and City Councils, and in 2020 was elected mayor of Malyn.
After the start of the full-scale invasion, the city government’s main priorities became ensuring the stable operation of the community’s life-support systems, restoring damaged housing and social infrastructure, and supporting the local economy.
A separate focus of the community’s work is attracting investment, developing local businesses, and fostering international cooperation. The Malyn community maintains partnerships with the cities of Bauska in Latvia and Billerbeck in Germany. This cooperation, in particular, helps attract humanitarian and technical aid for the community’s recovery.
As part of the “Person of the Year 2025” program, the organizers recognized Oleksandr Sytaylo’s work in the areas of local self-government, community recovery, infrastructure development, and international cooperation.
The 30th anniversary nationwide “Person of the Year” program traditionally honors representatives from government, business, science, culture, medicine, sports, and other fields.
Open4Business is an information partner of the nationwide “Person of the Year” program.
local self-government, MALYN, Oleksandr Sytaylo, PERSON OF THE YEAR, UKRAINE
