Ukraine remains visible and influential country despite predicted decrease in world attention – report
After an unprecedented surge of attention in 2022, the international discussion about Ukraine has decreased. The number of media publications about the country has dropped by 20% and by over 40% on social media. However, this doesn't mean that the international community has grown tired of Ukraine.
According to the "Perception of Ukraine in the World 2023" report by BRAND UKRAINE, international interest in Ukraine remains high compared to other war and conflict-related coverage despite the expected decrease in global attention toward Ukraine after the extreme surge during the early stages of the Russian full-scale invasion, Rubryka reports.
In 2023, Ukraine entered the top twenty most recognized countries in the Global Soft Power Index, ranking 16th. It also became the fourth country in the world whose events are closely monitored by humanity.
The research shows that, while media coverage decreased, Ukraine continues to be perceived as politically and diplomatically influential internationally. The study by BRAND UKRAINE demonstrated that international audiences became more interested in Ukraine beyond the scope of the war in 2023. Only 28% of media publications focused on combat actions and the aftermath of Russian attacks. Foreigners became more interested in Ukraine's achievements in culture and sports, with events like Eurovision representing Ukraine in Liverpool and tennis player Elina Svitolina's bold act of refusing to shake hands with her Belarusian opponent at Wimbledon 2023.
At the same time, sociological surveys in allied countries showed a moderate decline in support for providing various types of assistance to Ukraine by the end of 2023:
- 89% of Europeans approved of providing humanitarian aid,
- 84% were willing to continue accepting Ukrainian refugees,
- 72% were positive about continuing financial and economic support for Ukraine,
- 60% were in favor of providing weapons and conducting military training.
Support for Ukraine's accession to NATO increased from 58% in 2022 to 61% in 2023 among the populations of allied countries, while the percentage of supporters of Ukraine's accession to the EU remained the same as last year, at 63%.
In 2023, Ukraine's two most popular characteristics in foreign media were again "a nation of heroes" and "a democratic country." High proportions of the voice were also given to characteristics such as "a member of the European family," "a free nation," and "a country with a thousand-year history." As in the previous year, the least common characteristic was "charming nature."
"The long-term support of Ukraine by international partners directly depends on how ordinary citizens abroad perceive us. The 2023 report showed a decline in the 'active' attention of the world: the number of publications about Ukraine in international media and social networks has decreased, and the search interest in Google has dropped to pre-war levels. However, this does not mean that 'the world is tired of Ukraine,'" said Maria Lypiatska, the head of BRAND UKRAINE. "It only means that we need to change our strategy and not just react to the requests and interests of foreigners but find formats and ways to deliver the necessary messages to our audiences in an interesting and accessible way for them. The tools can be various, 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 strong foundation for a sustainable and multidimensional national brand for the country."
The "Perception of Ukraine in the World" report is the first comprehensive analysis of Ukraine's image abroad, based on verified data from leading Ukrainian and international analytical and research companies, as well as international ratings and indexes. It contains practical recommendations for the development of Ukraine's international communications and national brand and will be useful for representatives of the government, civil society, and businesses. The report is prepared annually by the public organization BRAND UKRAINE with expert support and consultations from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
BRAND UKRAINE is an independent organization that has been systematically working on developing Ukraine's national brand internationally since February 2022. It creates powerful communication projects, develops Ukraine's digital ecosystem Ukraine.ua, and researches how the country is perceived abroad based on data-driven approaches. The mission is to turn Ukraine into a beloved brand, a love mark, for the whole world.
As previously reported, foreigners learn Ukrainian out of solidarity on Duolingo. This year, the largest number of such students were from the USA, the UK, Poland, Russia, and Ukraine.
