MOSCOW – A fifth of Russians (21 percent) believe that Russia-U.S. relations have been lately changing for the better, 17 percent claim the opposite, and over half (54 percent) can see no change, the Levada Analytical Center told Interfax on June 5.
Only 14 percent of 1,600 respondents polled in 137 populated localities in 48 regions on May 19-22 have noted an improvement in Russia-EU relations, while 21 percent said the relations tend to deteriorate. Fifty-three percent believe there has been no change in Russia-EU relations lately.
The respondents deem Belarus (46 percent) and China (39 percent) to be the closest friends of Russia, although their rating has declined since 2015, from 55 percent and 43 percent, respectively. Kazakhstan ranks third (34 percent). It is followed by Syria which 15 percent of the respondents called Russia’s ally (2 percent in 2015).
Other friends of Russia mentioned by the respondents include India (14 percent), Armenia (12 percent), Cuba (11 percent), Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Azerbaijan (9 percent for each). Argentina, called Russia’s friend by 13 percent of last year’s respondents, appeared to be an outsider in 2017 (2 percent).
Countries, which are deemed to be hostile towards Russia, include the United States (69 percent vs. 73 percent in 2015), Ukraine (50 percent vs. 37 percent), and Germany (24 percent vs. 19 percent). Twenty-four percent mentioned Latvia and Lithuania, 21 percent – Poland, 16 percent – Estonia, 15 percent – the UK (21 percent in 2015), 9 percent – Georgia, and 8 percent – France.
The respondents have had the most drastic change of heart about Turkey: only 8 percent of present-day respondents list it as an enemy, while it was called such by 29 percent a year ago, and by 1 percent only in 2015.
Forty-six percent of the respondents gave an affirmative answer to the question as to whether Russia had found itself in international isolation, and 45 percent disagreed. Forty-four percent of those who claim isolation are worried about that, and 53 percent are not.
