Russians notice Ukrainian pro-Western policy but still like their neighbor – poll

(Interfax – MOSCOW. Aug 8, 2013) Most of Russians like Ukraine and a fifth of them say the bilateral relations are improving but a half asserts the pro-Western policy of Kyiv, the Public Opinion Foundation said.

The number of respondents partial to Ukraine has grown from 30% to 53% in the past four years, while the percentage of those expressing negative opinions has declined from 32% to 4%, the Foundation said after the poll was held in 43 regions on August 3-4.

Thirty-six percent of 1,500 respondents say they are indifferent to Ukraine, but their number has declined by 7%, from 43% in 2011.

Some 30% described the bilateral relations as good, 21% said the relations were bad, and 49% failed to answer the question.

Few respondents noted a change in the bilateral relations. Twenty-one percent said the relations were improving and 7% claimed the opposite. Arguments of both groups were vague. Forty-five percent said there was no change in the relations between Moscow and Kyiv.

The number of opinions that Ukraine is inclined towards rapprochement with the West rather than with Russia has grown, 46% vs. 24%, and 30% were hesitant to answer.

The respondents were asked about their opinion of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. Thirty-five percent said they did not know who Yanukovych was, and Tymoshenko was unknown to 23%. The personalities were liked by 25% and 11%, respectively, and disliked by 14% and 41%. Some 26% and 25% of the respondents, respectively, were hesitant to answer the query.