Interfax: Attitude to Ukraine improves in Russia over past year although 36% still want closed border, visa regime – poll

MOSCOW. June 16 (Interfax) – More than a third of Russians (36%) want closed borders, visas and customs for Ukraine (30% a year ago), the Levada Center told Interfax, adding that was the highest indicator since March 2008.

The share of respondents who see Russia and Ukraine as two independent, friendly nations with open borders and without visas or customs has not changed over the past two years, 53%-54%.

A total of 7% of 1,600 respondents polled in 137 populated localities in 48 regions in May stands for unification of the two countries.

At the same time, the attitude of Russians to Ukraine generally improved over the past year: 39% of respondents liked that country in May 2016, compared to 26% in May 2015. Some 47% expressed their negative feelings (59% a year ago).

Two-thirds (66%) of respondents described the ongoing situation in Ukraine as tense, and 17% called it critical or explosive. In the opinion of 8%, all is quiet in Ukraine, and another 8% are undecided. Only 1% said Ukraine was thriving.

Half of respondents (52%) think that the Ukraine situation will not change in the upcoming year, a quarter (25%) expects deterioration, and 9% are hopeful of improvement. Some 14% are undecided.

As to the future of the unrecognized Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, 38% of respondents stand for their independence, 22% favor their accession to Russia, and 20% want this region to remain Ukrainian but to enjoy a greater degree of autonomy from Kyiv. Fifteen percent were undecided.