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years, no more than 35 million people will live in Ukraine within the 1991 borders, said the institute's director, Ella Libanova. As she specified, population reduction will occur regardless of whether all the refugees return or Ukraine manages to attract migrants from other countries. Recently, the number of Ukrainians receiving refugee status or temporary protection abroad has been increasing more slowly than last year. However, there is another negative trend. "Since 2023, the number of Ukrainian labor refugees in Poland has decreased. They are going further - to Germany, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, and various countries, but they are going further. Therefore, the greater the distance between Ukraine and that country, where our people are, the less likely they will return," the scientist noted. According to her, today, the government's main task should be taking steps to motivate Ukrainians to return.
Half of Ukrainians believe that corruption slows down business development. This is the opinion of 47% of the surveyed participants in a study from the Democratic Initiatives Foundation. Among other potential difficulties, almost 37% of the survey participants called the destruction caused by the war an obstacle to business, more than 36% - an inadequate tax administration and control system, and almost 36% - a low level of state support. Problems that directly depend on the quality of public administration occupy three of the four first positions, which hinder entrepreneurship development, according to Ukrainians. At the same time, the next negative impact on entrepreneurship is the outflow of specialists and entrepreneurs abroad (29%) and the outflow of employees abroad border (28%) the survey says. At the same time, 78% of Ukrainians believe that the president of Ukraine has direct responsibility for eliminating corruption in the government and military administrations. Only 18% of respondents disagree with this statement. However, Zelenskyy, in an interview with CNN, noted that corruption cases in Ukraine are unrelated to international aid, funds, or weapons from partners and allies. According to him, these are "other matters".\
Domestic vs. Western companies: To whom are Ukrainians ready to entrust the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine? According to Ukrainians, large private Western companies and banks can effectively, and without corruption, carry out the post-war reconstruction of their country. More than 28% of respondents trust these companies, as well as international financial organizations, such as the IMF and the World Bank, with almost 19%. "There is distrust in society towards domestic companies for post-war economic and infrastructural reconstruction. In July 2023, only 17.5% of respondents agreed that state-owned Ukrainian companies and banks can effectively and without corruption carry out post-war reconstruction of the country. The level of trust in Ukrainian for private companies and banks is even lower - 8%," the study says. Least of all, only 3% of respondents believe that large non-Western companies and banks (for example, from Asian countries) will be able to restore Ukraine efficiently and without corruption.
Most Europeans support further financial aid to Ukraine and sanctions against Russia. In particular, these positions are supported by 65% and 71% of respondents, respectively. Another 57% believe that the EU should support the purchase and supply of military equipment for Ukraine and the training of the Ukrainian military. According to an EU survey, Many Europeans believe that the war in Ukraine requires the EU to ensure its energy and economic security (85%) and expand military cooperation between member states (75%). About two-thirds of Europeans (67%) believe that the EU should support Ukraine's path to European integration, and 65% support Ukraine's integration into the single European market. Most Europeans (86%) approve of the EU continuing to provide humanitarian support to people affected by war, and 77% agree to accept people fleeing war into the EU. Only 15% of Europeans are categorically against financial aid to Ukraine. However, 71% of Europeans show full solidarity with Ukraine.
26 UKRAINE Country Report October 2023 www.intellinews.com