Trust, reforms, and EU integration: European Union Advisory Mission conducts survey in Ukraine
On 25 September, the European Union Advisory Mission (EUAM) in Ukraine and the Rating Group presented the results of the annual nationwide Public Opinion Survey at the Ukrainian Crisis Media Centre in Kyiv. The results highlight encouraging levels of public trust in civilian security sector institutions, alongside persisting concerns in areas crucial for reforms and European integration.
The results show that Ukrainians continue to place strong confidence in their international partners. The European Union (63%), the International Monetary Fund (58%), NATO (54%), and the Council of Europe (53%) enjoy the highest levels of trust, while the United Nations (40%) and the OSCE (37%) also remain important supporters.
Among domestic institutions, the National Guard of Ukraine (84%) and the Security Service of Ukraine (78%) recorded the highest levels of trust. The State Border Guard Service (62%) and the National Police (48%) also maintain stable confidence. Younger Ukrainians (18–29) stand out with particularly high trust in security agencies, reflecting both their direct experience of the war and recognition of reforms.
Rolf Holmboe, Head of EUAM Ukraine, said at the presentation that the Ministry of Internal Affairs and its agencies face “herculean tasks” in supporting the civilian population during the war while simultaneously undertaking reforms towards EU accession. At the same time, he underlined that the survey shows continued public dissatisfaction with anti-corruption efforts, which remain a serious concern.
The reforms most positively evaluated by citizens are digital transformation (70% satisfied) and gender equality (60%). By contrast, anti-corruption efforts remain the biggest challenge, with 86% expressing dissatisfaction.
A strong majority of Ukrainians (68%) believe the country will succeed in implementing the reforms required for EU accession. At the same time, expectations about the timeline are becoming more realistic: while just 8% expect accession within one to two years, 31% believe it will take five to ten years.
When asked about the most relevant forms of EU assistance, Ukrainians pointed to the fight against corruption (62%), support in investigating war crimes (44%), and assistance to liberated territories (40%). Strategic communication was identified as the most effective area of EU support (55%), followed by EU accession consultations (49%).
The survey shows that 81% of Ukrainians believe hybrid threats from Russia are growing. Online recruitment by Russian special services (42%), fake news (32%), and cyberattacks (23%) are viewed as the most concerning. Two-thirds of Ukrainians rate the country’s preparedness to counter such threats as only moderate.
At the same time, 51% of respondents continue to rely on Telegram as their main source of information, followed by YouTube (25%) and personal networks (22%). However, Facebook and Instagram are seen as the main channels of disinformation (58%), alongside messenger services (45%). Independent journalists and the Centre for Countering Disinformation remain the most trusted actors in debunking fake news.
Reintegration of veterans emerged as one of the most pressing issues. Respondents identified post-traumatic stress and stress-related disorders (63%), disability (54%), and health problems (51%) as the key challenges facing those returning to civilian life. Rehabilitation (62%) was named the most important form of support, followed by employment opportunities (47%) and access to healthcare (43%).
The survey was conducted by the Sociological Group “Rating” between 31 July and 5 August 2025, covering 2,000 respondents aged 18 and above across Ukraine, excluding temporarily occupied territories. The methodology applied was Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) with a margin of error not exceeding 2.2%.
Find out more
The complete results of the survey can be downloaded here.
MOST READ
[popular_posts columns_xl=”4″ columns_l=”4″ columns_m=”3″]
