The share of Russian citizens who consider Ukraine to be a hostile state has fallen to its lowest level since 2014, according to a poll by the All-Russian Center for the Study of Public Opinion. It shows that 38 percent of respondents rank Ukraine among the countries with which Russia has "the most tense and hostile relations".
In 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea and began military operations in eastern Ukraine, this indicator was 32 percent, then it increased to 53 percent in 2019, and in 2022 it was 43 percent. According to these data, Ukraine now occupies fourth place on the list of "the most hostile" countries for Russia. Three years earlier, it was in second place after the United States.
The three main enemies of Russia are now different
In turn, the United States, which over the past 11 years was considered hostile by 67-76 percent of Russians, is now only in fifth place with a score of 27 percent.
Currently, the first three places among the enemy countries are occupied by France (48 percent), Great Britain (42 percent) and Germany (41 percent). The top ten also includes Poland (26 percent), the Baltic states and the EU countries (with nine percent each).
The friendly countries are China, Belarus, India, North Korea, Iran and Kazakhstan
Asked about the "friendliest" Regarding Russia, the majority of respondents named China (65 percent), Belarus (41), India and North Korea (26 percent each), as well as Iran (16) and Kazakhstan (11 percent).
In 2022, North Korea was considered a friendly country by only four percent of Russians surveyed, and in 2019 - by one percent. For Iran, the figures are ten and three percent, respectively. Researchers from the VTsIOM call this trend a rapprochement with "isolated" countries, which is based on the rich experience of opposing the West and serious international sanctions.
Author: Olga Demidova