Most of Russians (79 percent) know or have heard something about the fact that North Korea recently conducted a successful test of an intercontinental ballistic mission capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, the Public Opinion foundation said on September 11, citing the findings of a survey of 1,500 respondents it conducted in 104 localities in 53 regions of Russia on September 2-3.
Another 20 percent of those polled heard about this for the first time, the poll shows.
Two thirds of respondents (67 percent) believe the fact that North Korea possesses nuclear weapons poses danger to other countries, 23 percent are of the opposite opinion, and 10 percent were undecided.
In the view of 39 percent of respondents, North Korea’s possession of nuclear weapons threatens Russia’s security, 28 percent see no threat to Russia, and 10 percent are undecided.
As regards additional sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council on North Korea following the recent tests, 40 percent of Russians see this as the right step, 33 percent as the wrong one, and 26 percent are undecided.
Among those who approve of the new sanctions, 12 percent believe that “North Korea’s nuclear weapons pose a threat to the world,” and 8 percent insist that “there should be a response to North Korea’s actions and it must be stopped.”
As many as 6 percent of the respondents disapproving of the sanctions are of the view that “there is no need for sanctions, but the parties should reach agreement” and 5 percent that “any country is entitled to defend its own security.”
As many as 40 percent believe a war between North Korea and other countries is unlikely, while 20 percent believe this is quite likely, and 17 percent are undecided. If such a war starts, 73 percent of Russians believe North Korea’s main adversary will be the United States, while 34 percent expect that Russia and 22 percent that China will act as North Korea’s allies.
Nearly three quarters of respondents – 72 percent – are also sure that Russia should take some action to prevent war between North Korea and other countries, and 67 percent believe Russia should observe neutrality in the event some hostilities erupt.
The poll also showed that 54 percent of respondents have a neutral attitude toward North Korea, even though 21% percent identify this country as “an aggressor, an instigator, and a threat to the world” and 13 percent associate it with “the development and testing of nuclear weapons.”
Some 26 percent of respondents have good attitudes toward North Korea and 11 percent see it negatively.
