Ukrainians' Attitudes Towards Poles, Belarusians, and Russians Deteriorated in 2025 — Survey

In a significant shift, the attitudes of Ukrainians towards their neighbors have worsened in 2025, particularly regarding Poles, Belarusians, and Russians. This revelation comes from a recent survey conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS), which took place between September 19 and October 5, 2025. The findings indicate a notable increase in social distance among Ukrainians towards these groups compared to data from 2022.

The survey results reveal that Ukrainians exhibit the least social distance towards Ukrainian-speaking (index 2.4) and Russian-speaking (index 3.5) citizens of Ukraine. This suggests that a majority of respondents are willing to accept these individuals as part of their close circle, akin to family or friends. Following closely in the rankings are Jews residing in Ukraine, Canadians, and Germans, with indices ranging around 3.9, indicating a relatively close relationship with these groups, with only slight differences.

Next in the ranking are Poles, French, and Americans, with indices hovering around 4.0-4.1. Belarusians living in Ukraine follow with an index of 4.5, and Romanians with an index of 4.7. A higher level of social distance is observed towards Russians residing in Ukraine, with an index of 4.8.

Ukrainians consider Belarusians living in Belarus to be even more distant, with an index of 5.6, as well as Ukrainians living in Russia, who also hold an index of 5.6. The most negative feelings are directed towards Russians living in Russia, with an alarming index of 6.5, marking the highest social distance among all surveyed groups. Approximately 80% of respondents indicated they would not allow Russians into Ukraine, even as tourists.

When comparing these findings to 2022, the deterioration in attitudes towards Russians and Belarusians is evident. The social distance towards Belarusians living in Belarus increased from 5.3 to 5.6 (a rise of 0.3), while the distance towards Russians residing in Russia grew from 6.4 to 6.5 (an increase of 0.1). The most significant decline in sentiment was recorded regarding Poles, where the social distance level surged by 1.1 points compared to 2022.

KIIS analysts believe that the worsening attitude of Ukrainians towards Poles may be linked to conflicts that arose during the export of Ukrainian grain, particularly when Polish farmers blocked borders. Additionally, political discussions between Ukraine and Poland concerning the Volhynian tragedy may have contributed to the negative sentiment.

However, KIIS noted that Ukrainians' attitudes towards Poles remain significantly better than towards most other groups. The survey was conducted through telephone interviews based on a random sample of mobile phone numbers. A total of 1,008 respondents aged 18 and older were surveyed across all non-occupied regions of Ukraine. Under normal conditions, the statistical error for such a sample did not exceed 4.1% for indicators close to 50%, 3.5% for indicators close to 25%, 2.5% for indicators close to 10%, and 1.8% for indicators close to 5%.