In April, the sociological company Active Group together with the information and analytical centre Experts Club conducted a public opinion poll on the international sympathies of Ukrainians. The survey was conducted online among 800 respondents, representative by age, gender and regions. The purpose of the study was to find out which countries enjoy the greatest trust and sympathy in Ukrainian society.
“This research confirms the general vector of public sentiment in Ukraine, which has intensified since the outbreak of large-scale war. Ukrainians clearly associate the support received primarily from the countries of the European Union and Great Britain with a positive attitude towards them,” said Alexander Poznyi, co-founder of Active Group, at a press conference at the Interfax-Ukraine news agency on Thursday.
Thus, according to the survey, Ukrainians are most positive about the UK – a total of 77.2% of respondents positive answers, Canada (76.3%) and France (74%). It is especially significant that only 1.1 per cent responded completely negatively about France. Germany now has the support of 68.8% of Ukrainians. According to Oleksandr Poznia, the high level of trust in this country is determined primarily by its long-term support for Ukrainian reforms and defence industry, its policy towards Ukrainian refugees and other initiatives.
Ukrainians have a moderately positive attitude towards the United States of America: 36.1% of respondents assess the USA positively, while another 31.2% have a neutral position. On the other hand, almost one third-29.9% have a negative attitude towards the country. According to experts, these results indicate a deep polarisation in the perception of the US inside Ukraine, caused by changes in US policy after the new administration came to power.
“For many Ukrainians, the US is still a guarantor of support, but it is also a state with an ambivalent role in global conflicts, which can cause ambiguous reactions in society,” says Maxim urakin, founder of Experts Club.
Ukrainians are quite critical of Hungary (56% negative attitude) and Slovakia (34.6% negative attitude).
“Such results are not unexpected – the official rhetoric of Budapest and Bratislava often diverges from the interests of Ukraine and is regarded as pro-Russian, which cannot but be reflected in public opinion,” commented Oleksandr Poznyy.
The situation with China is no better: 42.8 per cent of Ukrainians have a negative opinion of this country, while only 19.6 per cent have a positive opinion of it. At the same time, 27.6% chose a neutral answer.
“Particularly interesting is the fact that even economically important partners of Ukraine, such as China (the largest trading partner) receive low support ratings among Ukrainians. This shows that Ukrainian society puts moral support above real trade and does not recognise ‘neutrality’ unless it is accompanied by humanitarian gestures,” Maxim urakin noted.
There is high trust in the attitude towards Japan: 66% of respondents have a positive attitude, only 3.6% have a negative attitude. Japan is perceived as a country with a high cultural reputation and technological leadership. South Korea also has a positive attitude of 49.7% of Ukrainians, although the level of negativity here is slightly higher – 14%.
Turkey, despite its partnership projects (in particular in the sphere of drones), has a rather ambiguous perception: 46.4% of respondents have a positive attitude to it, and 12% have a negative attitude.
Ukrainians have a favourable attitude towards Brazil – 33.3% positive versus 9.3% negative, while other Latin American countries are mostly neutral. According to Oleksandr Poznia, this indicates a neutral interest rather than a clearly formed position.
As for Saudi Arabia, 25.2% of Ukrainians have a positive attitude, while 9.5% have a negative attitude. Other respondents either take a neutral position or refrain from answering.
“These countries are credible due to their efforts in achieving peace in Ukraine, in particular prisoner exchanges, as well as acting as a negotiating platform, they are also of interest in economic terms,” Urakin said.
According to Oleksandr Poznyy, the conclusions of the study are an indicator of international trust and potential for the development of bilateral relations between Ukraine and the countries of the world.
For his part, Maksym urakin added that the image of states in the perception of Ukrainians can be improved by supporting projects to rebuild Ukraine (even without military involvement), establishing direct dialogue through embassies and public diplomacy projects, explaining their position through the historical context without avoiding publicity.