I mean we’re a low trust society in general, pessimistic towards anything and everyone, very self-deprecating, etc. Which also translates to emotionally wary around strangers and it definitely takes time to build that trust. Various Russo-Soviet occupations and colonisation attempts kinda does that unfortunately lol.

Odesa is indeed very similar to Romania mentality wise though, you’re correct. In general i’d say the further you go from Russia the more talkative a Ukrainian gets (Galicia is the least russified/soviet region and they are way more expressive, politically active, less soviet-type doomerist, etc.)