Interfax: Most Russians were impressed by Putin’s speech on joining Crimea – poll

MOSCOW. March 26 (Interfax) – An overwhelming majority of Russians (87%) know that Russian President Vladimir Putin issued an address on the joining of Crimea to Russia on March 18, and 66% of them said they were impressed by it, shows a poll conducted by the Public Opinion Foundation.

The poll, which surveys 1,500 respondents living in 43 regions of Russia, was conducted on March 23.

Five respondents said they saw ‘both positive and negative things” in the speech and 1% said they responded to it negatively. Twelve percent of the respondents admitted that they did not know what Putin talked about in his speech.

The things the respondents remember the most from the president’s speech are his words on the joining of Crimea (17%), on the protection of the interests of Russians (6%), and on financial assistance to the region (6%).

Another 6% said they remembered and liked everything and 4% said they are happy “about the demonstration of Russia’s power and independence from Western countries,” the poll shows.