Flat-rolled products continue to dominate the structure of metallurgical product imports into Ukraine.
According to data from the Ukrmetallurgprom association, in January–September 2026, flat-rolled products accounted for 69.65% of all rolled steel imports.
The share of long-rolled products was 24.83%.
A year earlier, the import mix was also characterized by a predominance of flat products, although their share was slightly lower—67.14%. Long products accounted for 21.28% of imports at that time.
The total volume of rolled metal imports into Ukraine over the first nine months of 2026 reached 1.276 million metric tons, compared to 1.2395 million metric tons a year earlier.
At the same time, the domestic market shrank by 13.79% over the same period—to 2.728 million metric tons.
As a result, imported products now account for 46.78% of the Ukrainian market, whereas a year earlier their share stood at 39.17%.
Thus, the main increase in the Ukrainian market’s dependence on imports continues to be linked primarily to shipments of flat-rolled products, which remain the largest product group among foreign metal products.
Source: “Ukrmetallurgprom.”
The Netherlands continues to enjoy one of the highest levels of positive perception among Ukrainians: in August 2026, a total of 71.3% of respondents expressed a positive attitude toward the country, while only 1.6% expressed a negative one. Compared to March, the share of positive assessments declined slightly, but the net sentiment remains one of the highest among the countries surveyed, according to the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center. Experts.news
According to the results of the August survey, 28.4% of Ukrainians have a completely positive attitude toward the Netherlands, and 42.9% have a mostly positive attitude. A neutral stance is held by 26.4% of respondents. 1.4% view the country mostly negatively, only 0.2% view it entirely negatively, and another 0.8% were undecided.
The net balance of positive and negative assessments, based on rounded figures, stands at plus 69.7 percentage points. Based on this indicator, the Netherlands ranks among the countries with the most favorable public perception among Ukrainians, trailing only Canada and Sweden in the overall ranking.
A previous survey conducted in March 2026 also showed a very high level of favorability. At that time, 34.3% of respondents viewed the Netherlands entirely positively, 38.5% viewed it mostly positively, and 24.2% held a neutral position. In the aggregated results, the share of positive assessments was reported at 72.7%, while negative assessments accounted for only 1.2%.
Thus, between March and August, the overall share of positive assessments decreased by approximately 1.4 percentage points. At the same time, the structure of positive attitudes changed more noticeably: the share of entirely positive responses decreased by 5.9 percentage points, while that of mostly positive responses increased by 4.4 percentage points. The share of neutral assessments increased by approximately 2.2 percentage points. Overall, these changes do not indicate a significant deterioration in attitudes—the negative segment remains minimal.
Oleksandr Pozniy, director of the research firm Active Group, had previously highlighted the stability of the Netherlands’ positive image. He attributed the high ratings to the country’s consistent stance and a nature of engagement that is understandable to Ukrainian society. In his view, stable indicators across several survey waves are more important than minor fluctuations between individual measurements.
This positive public perception is also coupled with trade figures that are favorable to Ukraine. In the first half of 2026, trade with the Netherlands totaled approximately $1.82 billion, with Ukrainian exports exceeding $1 billion and a trade surplus for Ukraine of about $221.5 million.
Thus, the Netherlands remains an example of a country where a high level of public support is combined with its important role as a market for Ukrainian exports. A slight decline in the positive rating compared to March does not currently change the overall picture: only a small portion of respondents view the country negatively.
ACTIVE GROUP, EUROPEAN UNION, EXPERTS CLUB, FOREIGN TRADE, international relations, NETHERLANDS, Pozniy, PUBLIC OPINION, SOCIOLOGY, UKRAINE
Ukraine’s rolled steel market shrank by 13.79% in January–September 2026 compared to the same period last year—to 2.728 million metric tons, according to data from the Ukrmetallurgprom association.
At the same time, the domestic market’s dependence on imported products has increased significantly. Over the nine-month period, Ukraine imported 1.276 million metric tons of rolled steel, which accounts for 46.78% of domestic consumption.
A year earlier, the Ukrainian market totaled 3.1645 million metric tons, while imports amounted to 1.2395 million metric tons, or 39.17%. Thus, despite a decline in overall demand, the share of imported rolled metal increased by 7.61 percentage points over the year.
In fact, nearly every other metric ton of rolled steel consumed in Ukraine’s domestic market from January through September 2026 was imported.
During this period, Ukrainian steelmakers produced 3.729 million metric tons of rolled steel, representing 77% of the January–September 2025 figure.
This decline in domestic consumption follows a significant market recovery last year. By the end of 2025, the rolled steel market had grown by 21.73% to 4.002 million metric tons, with imports accounting for 40.07% of the total.
For comparison: in 2024, the Ukrainian rolled steel market totaled 3.288 million metric tons, and in 2023—3.506 million metric tons.
Source: “Ukrmetallurgprom,” State Customs Service of Ukraine.
Ukrainians’ attitude toward Serbia in August 2026 remains predominantly neutral: 53.4% of respondents hold this view. 22.7% of those surveyed view the country positively, while 20.3% view it negatively. Compared to March, the figures have changed only slightly; however, on a year-over-year basis, perceptions of Serbia have improved noticeably, according to the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center.
According to the results of the August survey, 5.5% of Ukrainians view Serbia entirely positively, while 17.2% view it mostly positively. A neutral response was chosen by 53.4%. The country is viewed mostly negatively by 17.6%, entirely negatively by 2.7%, and another 3.5% were undecided.
According to the rounded data in the table, the balance between positive and negative attitudes is approximately plus 2.4 percentage points. Thus, positive assessments already slightly outweigh negative ones, although the difference remains small, and more than half of Ukrainians continue to hold a neutral position.
In March 2026, 21.7% of respondents viewed Serbia positively: 5.6% viewed it entirely positively and 16.1% viewed it mostly positively. Fifty-five percent held a neutral position, 19.6% viewed the country negatively, and another 3.7% were undecided.
Thus, over the course of five months, the positive segment grew by approximately 1 percentage point—to 22.7%—while the negative segment also increased slightly—by about 0.7 percentage points—and the share of neutral responses decreased by 1.6 percentage points. In fact, following a noticeable improvement recorded in the spring, attitudes have stabilized.
The annual trend is much more pronounced. In August 2025, only 13.7% of Ukrainians had a positive attitude toward Serbia, while 26% had a negative one. By March 2026, the positive figure had risen to 21.7%, while the negative figure had fallen to 19.6%. Thus, compared to August of last year, positive attitudes are now approximately 9 percentage points higher, while negative attitudes are nearly 6 percentage points lower.
Maksym Urakin, founder of the Experts Club information and analytical center and a candidate of economic sciences, attributed this positive trend, in particular, to the more active work of Serbia’s diplomatic mission in Ukraine, headed by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Andon Sapundži. The Serbian Embassy resumed operations in Kyiv in 2025, and Sapundži publicly emphasized the need to restore active cooperation between the two countries.
“The results regarding Serbia show that Ukrainian society reacts quite sensitively to the foreign policy behavior of other countries. The increase in positive assessments indicates a certain softening of perceptions, but the high level of neutrality means that the country’s image remains ambiguous. In such cases, consistency in actions and signals that build trust at the societal level plays a key role. “The active involvement of the Serbian diplomatic mission, led by the new ambassador, in humanitarian and economic initiatives and in establishing intergovernmental dialogue has undoubtedly had a positive impact on Ukrainians’ attitudes toward this Balkan country,” Urakin noted.
According to Maksym Urakin, an additional factor in 2026 was the noticeable revival of political and economic contacts between Kyiv and Belgrade. In May, a Serbian-Ukrainian business forum was held in Belgrade, attended by more than 40 representatives of companies from both countries. The forum discussed the resumption of negotiations on a free trade zone, the expansion of trade, and the possibility of using Serbia as one of the logistics and business hubs for Ukrainian companies in the Balkans.
In addition, in July, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić traveled to Kyiv for the Ukraine–Southeast Europe Summit, and in September he visited Ukraine again to participate in the Carpathian Summit.
In the first half of 2026, Ukraine’s trade turnover with Serbia totaled approximately $345.9 million, of which $102.7 million came from Ukrainian exports and $243.2 million from imports of Serbian goods. The trade deficit for Ukraine amounted to approximately $140.5 million.
Current results indicate that the long-term trend in attitudes toward Serbia is more positive than it was a year ago, but a significant neutral group—more than half of those surveyed—leaves considerable potential for further shaping the country’s image through diplomatic, humanitarian, cultural, and economic contacts.
ACTIVE GROUP, Andon Sapundži, EXPERTS CLUB, international relations, PUBLIC OPINION, SERBIA, SOCIOLOGY, the Balkans, UKRAINE, URAKIN
Ukrainians’ attitudes toward Hungary have improved significantly compared to March 2026, but negative views still outnumber positive ones. In August, 22.9% of respondents viewed the country positively, 35.6% negatively, and another 37.4% took a neutral stance. This is evidenced by the results of the third wave of a survey conducted by Active Group and Experts Club, according to the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center. Experts.news
According to the results of the August survey, 6.3% of Ukrainians view Hungary entirely positively, while 16.6% view it mostly positively. A neutral attitude was expressed by 37.4% of respondents. At the same time, 28.8% view the country mostly negatively, 6.8% view it entirely negatively, and another 4.1% were undecided.
The balance of positive and negative assessments in August stands at minus 12.7 percentage points. Based on this indicator, Hungary remains among the countries with a negative balance of public opinion; however, the trend over the past five months has shifted significantly in a positive direction. In the survey’s overall ranking, China had a lower balance in August at minus 25.4 percentage points, and India at minus 14.3 percentage points
In March 2026, the situation was noticeably more negative. At that time, 4.9% of respondents viewed Hungary entirely positively, and 13.8% viewed it mostly positively—meaning that positive assessments totaled 18.6%. A total of 52.2% of respondents viewed the country negatively: 34.3% viewed it mostly negatively and 17.9% viewed it entirely negatively. 27.3% held a neutral position.
Thus, between March and August, the share of positive assessments increased by 4.3 percentage points—from 18.6% to 22.9%—while negative assessments fell by 16.6 percentage points—from 52.2% to 35.6%. At the same time, the share of neutral responses rose by 10.1 percentage points—to 37.4%.
The shift in the balance is even more pronounced: in March, it stood at minus 33.6 percentage points, and in August, at minus 12.7 percentage points. Thus, the gap between positive and negative assessments narrowed by 20.9 percentage points. At the same time, a significant portion of the former negative sentiment did not directly shift to positive assessments—it was the group of respondents with a neutral attitude that increased significantly.
Oleksandr Pozniy, director of the research company Active Group, commenting on previous waves of the survey, drew attention to the connection between public assessments and international politics as well as perceptions of support for Ukraine.
“This survey confirms the general trend in public sentiment in Ukraine, which has intensified since the start of the full-scale war. Ukrainians clearly associate the support received primarily from European Union countries and the United Kingdom with a positive attitude toward them,” Pozniy noted. Speaking specifically about Hungary, he emphasized: “These results are not surprising—the official rhetoric from Budapest and Bratislava often diverges from Ukraine’s interests and is viewed as pro-Russian, which inevitably influences public opinion.”
The new wave shows a significant softening in assessments of Hungary compared to March. At the same time, it is still too early to speak of a predominantly positive perception: negative responses remain about one and a half times more common than positive ones, and respondents with a neutral attitude now constitute the largest single group.
The survey was conducted in August 2026 using an online self-administered questionnaire via 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.
ACTIVE GROUP, EUROPE, EXPERTS CLUB, HUNGARY, international relations, Pozniy, PUBLIC OPINION, SOCIOLOGY, UKRAINE
Italy continues to enjoy one of the highest levels of positive perception among Ukrainians: in August 2026, 70.1% of respondents viewed the country positively, while only 2.9% viewed it negatively. Compared to March, the overall share of positive assessments remained virtually unchanged; however, within this group, there was an increase in the number of respondents with an unequivocally positive attitude. This is evidenced by the results of a study conducted by Active Group and Experts Club, according to the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center.
According to the results of the August survey, 24.3% of Ukrainians have a completely positive attitude toward Italy, and 45.8% have a mostly positive attitude. Twenty-five percent of respondents hold a neutral position. Two point seven percent view the country mostly negatively, only 0.2% completely negatively, and another 2% were undecided.
The balance of positive and negative assessments stands at plus 67.2 percentage points. Based on this indicator, Italy ranks among the countries with the highest level of positive attitudes among Ukrainians and holds a high position among the nations of Western and Southern Europe.
In March 2026, the total share of positive assessments of Italy stood at 70.2%. At that time, 19.3% of respondents described their attitude as entirely positive, and 50.8% as mostly positive. 28.9% had a neutral attitude toward the country, while only about 0.5% had a negative one.
Thus, the overall level of positive attitudes has remained virtually unchanged over the past five months—at around 70%. At the same time, the share of entirely positive assessments rose by approximately 5 percentage points—from 19.3% to 24.3%—while the share of mostly positive assessments fell by roughly the same 5 percentage points. This indicates a certain increase in the intensity of positive perceptions among a segment of respondents.
At the same time, the share of neutral assessments fell from 28.9% to 25%, while negative assessments rose to 2.9%. As a result, the balance of positive and negative attitudes declined from approximately plus 69.7 percentage points in March to plus 67.2 percentage points in August, though it remains very high.
“The consistently high level of positive attitudes among Ukrainians toward Italy is important not only in terms of public sentiment but also in the context of economic ties between the two countries. Italy remains one of Ukraine’s key trading partners in Europe, and a positive perception of the country creates a favorable backdrop for the development of business contacts, investments, tourism, and humanitarian cooperation. It is particularly telling that the share of unequivocally positive assessments is growing, even though the overall level of favorability has remained very high for quite some time,” noted Maksym Urakin, founder of the Experts Club information and analytical center.
Italy also carries significant economic weight for Ukraine. In the first half of 2026, it ranked third among individual countries in terms of the volume of Ukrainian goods exports—approximately $1.28 billion. The high level of public favor is thus combined with significant trade and economic ties.
A new wave of the survey shows that this positive image has generally been maintained: about seven out of ten Ukrainians continue to view Italy positively, and the share of unequivocally positive responses has even increased.
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 is ±3.5 percentage points.
ACTIVE GROUP, EXPERTS CLUB, FOREIGN TRADE, international relations, ITALY, PUBLIC OPINION, SOCIOLOGY, UKRAINE, URAKIN
