Ukraine's Global Perception Report 2023 by BRAND UKRAINE

After an unprecedented surge of attention in 2022, the information field on Ukraine abroad has decreased. The number of publications about the country in the media dropped by 20%, and on social media by more than 40%. However, this does not mean that the international community is tired of Ukraine, states Ukraine's Global Perception Report 2023 by BRAND UKRAINE.

According to the study, the world's attention to news about Ukraine has predictably declined after an extreme surge at the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion. However, compared to other examples of coverage of wars and armed conflicts, international interest in Ukraine remains high. 

Therefore, according to the Global Soft Power Index, in 2023, Ukraine was ranked 16th among the twenty most recognisable countries. In addition, we became the fourth most followed country in the world. 

Despite a decrease in the number of media mentions, Ukraine is still considered politically and diplomatically influential in the international arena. The BRAND UKRAINE study showed that in 2023, international audiences' interest in Ukraine deepened and went beyond the war alone: only 28% of media publications concerned hostilities and the consequences of Russian attacks. Foreigners have become more interested in Ukraine's achievements in culture and sports. Among the topics that caused a particular resonance were the Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of Ukraine in Liverpool and the courageous act of tennis player Elina Svitolina, who refused to shake hands with her rival from Belarus at Wimbledon 2023.

At the same time, opinion polls in the allied countries showed a moderate decline in support for providing various types of assistance to Ukraine. As of the end of 2023, 89% of Europeans approved of the provision of humanitarian aid, 84% were ready to continue accepting Ukrainian refugees, 72% were positive about continuing financial and economic support for Ukraine, and 60% were positive about providing weapons and military exercises.

At the same time, support for Ukraine's accession to NATO has increased among the population of the allied countries from 58% in 2022 to 61% in 2023, while the number of supporters of Ukraine's accession to the EU remained the same as last year — at 63%.

In 2023, the two most popular descriptions of Ukraine in foreign media were once again ‘nation of heroes’ and ‘democratic country’. The characteristics like ‘member of the European family’, ‘free nation’ and ‘thousand-year-old history’ also received a high share of votes. The least common characteristic, as in the previous year, was ‘beautiful nature’.

‘How we are perceived by ordinary citizens abroad directly affects the long-term support of Ukraine by international partners. The 2023 report showed a decline in the world's active attention: the number of publications about Ukraine in international media and social media decreased, and search interest on Google dropped to a level seen before the full-scale invasion. 

However, this does not mean that ‘the world is tired of Ukraine’. It only means that we need to change our strategy and not only respond to the requests and interests of foreigners but also find formats and ways to convey the right messages to our audiences in an interesting and accessible way. The tools can vary from deepening human contacts and targeted work with specific countries and regions to creative partnerships and expanding the topics for Ukraine's external communications. This will create a solid foundation for a sustainable and multidimensional national brand of the country,’ comments Maria Lypiatska, Head of BRAND UKRAINE.

Ukraine's global Perception report is a comprehensive analysis of Ukraine's perception abroad based on data from leading international and Ukrainian analytics and research companies. It contains a list of practical recommendations for developing Ukraine's national brand and international communications. The report was developed by BRAND UKRAINE with expert support and in consultation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.