Poll suggests negative shift in Russians’ attitude to USA

(Interfax – October 10, 2013) Russians’ attitude to the USA is gradually getting worse, privately-owned news agency Interfax reported on 10 October, quoting a recent poll conducted by the independent pollster Levada Centre.

The full results of the survey was published on the pollster’s website on the same day (http://www.levada.ru/10-10-2013/rossiyane-o-ssha). The poll was conducted on 20-24 September 2013 among 1,601 people aged 18 and over, in 130 towns and villages in 45 regions. The statistical margin of error is 3.4 per cent.

When asked about the role of the USA in the modern world in general, 50 per cent of respondents said it was “generally negative” (the option was chosen by some 43 in 2012 and by 53 per cent of those polled in 2008). Some 10 per cent of the polled, the same as in 2012, estimated the US role in the global politics as “generally positive”, while some 29 per cent described it as “sometimes positive and sometimes negative”. In the meantime, only 3 per cent of those polled chose a “neither positive nor negative, neutral” option.

An overall majority (71 per cent) agreed with the statement that “the USA are hypocritically trying to make other countries observe the rules of international law, while the USA does not always obey them itself” (increasing slightly from 67 per cent in 2012, yet dropping from 76 per cent in 2008 and 2009). At the same time, the number of those who believe that “the USA, always observing the rules of international law, is setting a good example for other countries” has dropped from 14 per cent in 2012 and 13 per cent in 2009 to 11 in 2013.

Asked whether the USA acted with respect towards Russia at the international level, an absolute majority of those polled (71 per cent) said Washington was trying to put pressure on Moscow in the international arena (increasing from 69 per cent in 2008 and 68 per cent in 2012). Meanwhile, the number of those who believe the USA shows respect towards Russia has dropped from 19 per cent in 2008 and 17 per cent in 2012 to 12 per cent. Some 17 per cent of those polled remained undecided on the issue.