Twenty-six percent of Russians believe the 2014 ban on food imports from Western countries that had imposed sanctions on Russia did more harm than good, a poll by the state-run pollster VTsIOM showed Friday. The number has grown significantly since 2014, when only 9 percent of respondents expressed that opinion.
The number of Russians who approve of the ban remains high – 72 percent, according to the study. However, over the years it has decreased: in 2014, 84 percent of Russians approved of the ban.
Public opinion on the important ban is largely influenced by hostility toward Western sanctions, says VTsIOM sociologist Mikhail Mamonov. The sanctions make the ban look like a fair response in the public's eyes.
The poll was conducted between March 2 and March 3 among 1,200 respondents. the poll's margin of error does not exceed 3.5 percent.
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