Only 9% of US residents have a positive opinion about Russia, according to the results of the Gallup World Affairs 2023 poll. This is the lowest result for the entire existence of modern Russia, RBC notes.
This question was first asked in 1989, two years before the collapse of the USSR. At that time, 62% of the respondents expressed a positive attitude. The indicator remained high throughout the 1990s, but deteriorated sharply in April 1999 to 33%, which coincided with the divergence of positions between Moscow and Washington on NATO intervention in Kosovo. At the same time, by February 2002, the level of approval rose again to 62% and fell only in March 2003 (42%) and February 2009 (40%).
In March 2015, 24% of the respondent spoke of a positive attitude towards Russia, after which this figure did not rise above 30%. At the beginning of 2021, 22% of respondents approved of Russia’s actions, and at the beginning of last year – 15%.
This year, 90% of Americans expressed a negative attitude towards Russia, while 59% of respondents chose the option “extremely unfavorable.” Last year, the last option was chosen by 42%, two years earlier by 36%, and until 2020, no more than 32% had an extremely negative attitude towards Russia.
At the same time, Americans generally have a positive attitude towards Ukraine – 68%, in 2022 it was 62%, and in 2020 – 57%. In addition, 23% share a “very positive” opinion about Ukraine. Last year, only 9% of respondents spoke about such an attitude.
The conflict in Ukraine was considered by the majority of Americans (59%) to be a “critical threat”, and 36% – “important, but not critical.” Most of the US population also considers Russia’s military power a serious threat (51%), a year ago – 59%. From 2004 to 2013, at least half of Americans considered the Russian military an important, but not a critical threat.
In the past, Republicans approved of Russia more than Democrats, but now, according to the results of the poll, 6% of respondents from both groups said they had a positive attitude. “Extremely unfavorable” described Russia 65% of Democrats and 59% of Republicans polled.
Source: Rosbalt
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