Business news from Ukraine

Ukrainians’ attitudes toward Belgium in August 2026 improved slightly compared to the previous survey wave: 59.8% of respondents view the country positively, while only 1.4% view it negatively. At the same time, more than a third of those surveyed—36%—remain neutral, according to the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center.

According to the results of the August survey, 21.1% of Ukrainians view Belgium entirely positively, and 38.7% view it mostly positively. A neutral attitude was expressed by 36% of respondents. Only 0.8% view the country mostly negatively, 0.6% view it entirely negatively, and another 2.7% were undecided.

According to the table, the balance of positive and negative assessments is +58.4 percentage points. Thus, Belgium remains among the Western European countries with a distinctly positive perception, and negative attitudes toward it are virtually marginal.

In March 2026, 58.7% of respondents viewed Belgium positively: 19.3% viewed it entirely positively and 39.4% viewed it mostly positively. 37.1% of respondents held a neutral view, 2.3% held a negative view, and another 1.9% were undecided.

Thus, over the course of five months, the share of positive assessments rose by 1.1 percentage points—from 58.7% to 59.8%—while negative assessments fell by 0.9 percentage points—from 2.3% to 1.4%. The neutral segment also decreased by 1.1 percentage points. The balance between positive and negative attitudes rose from approximately plus 56.4 to plus 58.4 percentage points.

At the same time, the internal structure of positive responses changed slightly. The share of fully positive assessments increased from 19.3% to 21.1%, while the share of mostly positive assessments decreased from 39.4% to 38.7%. This means that the overall improvement was modest, but a portion of respondents began to view Belgium more unequivocally positively.

Oleksandr Pozniy, director of the research firm Active Group, previously noted that a significant proportion of neutral responses regarding Belgium is not linked to a negative perception but rather to the specific characteristics of the country’s established image.

“Belgium is perceived by Ukrainians as an important member of the European Union and NATO, a country that consistently supports Ukraine on the international stage. At the same time, its relative distance and the lack of deep historical ties account for the high proportion of neutral assessments,” Pozniy explained.

The new wave of the survey generally confirms this characterization. The positive segment is gradually expanding, negative assessments remain at a minimal level, yet more than a third of Ukrainians still hold a neutral position. This indicates significant potential for further shaping a more defined image of Belgium through economic, humanitarian, educational, and intercultural contacts.

The previous wave of the survey was conducted in March 2026 among 800 Ukrainian citizens aged 18 and older using self-administered online questionnaires on the SunFlowerSociology panel. The sample was representative by age, gender, and region; the maximum theoretical margin of error for indicators at the 50% confidence level was ±3.5 percentage points.