Ukraine in Europe's Security Architecture - a new special study from the Rating Group team (Sociological Group "Rating"). In spring 2026, we found out what Ukrainians think about the following questions:

• What‍ is Ukraine's status among other European countries?
• Who are the AFU currently defending: only the people of Ukraine, or also other European nations?
• Would Ukrainians support the AFU's participation in defending several other European countries if Russia attacked them?

We compare the results for some questions over time with our 2022 studies.

Ukraine's Status Among European Countries

We asked respondents to assess where they would place Ukraine when compared to other European countries: among leaders, middle-performers, or outsiders.

A relative majority of Ukrainians (40%) believe that Ukraine is a leading country when compared to other European countries.

• A third classify it as a middle-performer, and another 21% as an outsider.
• Since 2022, the proportion of Ukrainians who classify Ukraine as a "middle-performer" among European countries has decreased (from 42% in March 2022 to 33% in April 2026).
• Conversely, there's an increase in views in which Ukraine is either a leader (from 34% in March 2022 to 40% in April 2026) or, conversely, an outsider (from 16% to 21%).
• For context, it's worth noting that the perception of Ukraine as a leading state strengthened from the first months of the full-scale invasion and the first significant successes of the AFU at the front. For example, in January 2022, only 8% called Ukraine a leader, while half (49%) considered it an outsider. However, in March 2022, a third of citizens began to consider Ukraine a leader, and only 16% an outsider.

Who are the AFU defending?

An absolute majority of Ukrainians see Ukraine as an integral part of Europe's security architecture: they believe that in the war, the AFU are defending not only the Ukrainian people but also Europe as a whole.

• Just like four years ago, approximately three-quarters of Ukrainians (73%) believe that in the war, the AFU are defending both the people of Ukraine and other European nations..
• 23% say that the AFU are defending only the people of Ukraine.
• Citizens who would vote for Ukraine's accession to the EU even more frequently believe that the AFU are defending both the people of Ukraine and other European nations (84%). Only 15% among supporters of EU accession believe that in the war, the AFU are defending only the people of Ukraine.
• Among opponents of EU accession, there are significantly fewer respondents who believe that the AFU are defending both the people of Ukraine and Europe as a whole (57%).

‍Do Ukrainians support the participation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in defending other European countries if Russia attacks them?

‍We asked respondents to imagine that Russia invades certain European countries and to answer whether they would support the participation of Ukrainian troops in defending such countries: Moldova, Poland, the Baltic states (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia), and Finland.

The absolute majority of Ukrainians would support the participation of Ukrainian troops in defending the Baltic states (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia), Moldova, Finland, and Poland in the event of a Russian attack.

More than half of Ukrainians would support the participation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in defending all allied countries on the list if Russia attacked them:

• Lithuania: 63% – would support, 33% – would not support
• Latvia: 62% – would support, 33% – would not support
• Estonia: 61% – would support, 33% – would not support
• Moldova: 60% – would support, 35% – would not support
• Finland: 59% – would support, 33% – would not support
• Poland: 58% – would support, 37% – would not support

The stronger Ukrainians' emotional connection to the EU, the more they support the AFU's assistance to other countries in the event of a Russian attack.

Let's take support for Estonia as an example.

• Among Ukrainians who would vote in a referendum for EU membership, 73% of citizens would support AFU assistance to Estonia. 
• Among opponents of EU membership, only 37% would support it, while the absolute majority (61%) would be against it.
• Among Ukrainians with a strong emotional connection to the EU, 85% would support armed assistance to Estonia.
• In comparison, among those who weakly associate themselves with the EU, only a third (35%) would support such a decision, while 58% would be against it.

‍

Rating Group is one of Ukraine's largest research institutions, operating in the market since 2008. The company is registered in Ukraine and has significant experience conducting sociological surveys in Ukraine and abroad. The group includes: Sociological Group Rating, Rating Lab research laboratory, Rating Online platform, and Rating Call Center.