Americans’ views of Russia have reached their most negative levels in more than three decades as the war in Ukraine shows no signs of ending after just over one year, according to the latest Gallup poll.
Russia’s favorability among U.S. respondents stood at 9% in early 2023, down from 15% last year. Ninety percent of Americans held an unfavorable opinion of Russia, 59% of whom said they had a “very unfavorable” view.
Gallup called the results “easily the worst ratings” held by Russia in at least 34 years, when the pollster first measured the favorability of the Soviet Union in 1989.
Russia joins Iran, Iraq and North Korea as the fourth country with a sub-10% favorability rating among Americans, Gallup said.
By contrast, Ukraine’s favorability among U.S. respondents reached its highest peak since 2005, climbing to 68% from 62% last year.
“Very favorable” opinions of Ukraine more than doubled to 23% from 9% over the same period, Gallup said.
A 56% majority of Americans described Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a critical threat to U.S. vital interests, up four points from 2022.
Another 51% held the same view of Russia’s military power, down eight points from last year but still among the highest that Gallup has measured since 2004.
“The decline may be related to the prolonged battle with Ukraine,” Gallup said Monday. “Many military experts thought the Russian military would overwhelm Ukraine, but it has made gains only in limited parts of the country. Those gains have come at a heavy cost in Russian military personnel and equipment.”
Gallup carried out telephone interviews between Feb. 1-23 among 1,008 adults in all 50 U.S. states.
