Russians' dislike of Western nations has soared amid the Ukrainian crisis, and an increasing number of Russians think that Moscow should side with such countries as China, India, North Korea and Syria in its foreign policy, a poll shows.
The number of Russians whose attitude to the U.S. is either "bad" or "very bad" has grown to 56 percent this month from 39 percent in March 2013, according to a survey published Tuesday by Levada Center, an independent pollster. The number of those who look negatively upon the European Union rose to 41 percent from 25 percent over the same period.
The number of respondents who said they view the U.S. positively has dropped to 34 percent this month from 48 percent in March 2013 and from 56 percent a decade ago. The number of those who see the EU in a positive or mostly positive light has decreased to 45 percent this month from 58 percent a year ago and from 77 percent in 2004.
About 12 percent of Russians see their country's relations with the U.S. as "hostile," compared to 4 percent at the start of this year. Another 35 percent described relations with the U.S. as "tense," compared to 13 percent in January.
Relations with the EU were perceived as "tense" by 27 percent, compared to 9 percent at the start of this year. Another 5 percent of respondents saw relations as "hostile," compared with 1 percent in January.
In a question that allowed for multiple answers, 10 percent said in March that Russia should cooperate with the U.S. in its foreign policy, while cooperation with Western European nations was favored by 38 percent, and with Japan by 18 percent. This compares to 18 percent, 48 percent and 22 percent respectively in January 2013.
China and India were selected as good foreign-policy partners for Russia by 36 percent of respondents, compared to 30 percent in January 2013. Cuba, Venezuela, Syria and North Korea were named as good international partners by 14 percent, compared to 10 percent in the previous poll.
The number of people who said that Russia should side with other former Soviet republics on the international arena has remained unchanged at 46 percent.
The poll was conducted among 1,603 people across Russia from March 7-10. The margin of error did not exceed 3.4 percentage points.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
