US viewed more favorably by Russian public, survey shows
A survey by an independent Russian polling organization found that the United States, which had been ranked the most unfriendly country toward Russia, moved to fourth place.
The Levada-Center conducted the survey on over 1,600 people aged 18 or older across Russia between May 22 and 28.
The results, released last Thursday, showed that 55 percent of respondents believe Germany is the most unfriendly and hostile country toward Russia. Britain came in second at 49 percent, followed by Ukraine at 43 percent.
The United States, which had topped the list for 12 straight years until last year, came in fourth at 40 percent. That's down by 36 percentage points from a year ago.
The center analyzed that Russian public sentiment toward the US appears to be improving rapidly, following US mediation efforts in Ukraine since Donald Trump became president.
Meanwhile, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz indicated on May 26 that Ukraine would be allowed to use German-supplied weapons for long-range attacks into Russian territory.
The Levada-Center has been designated as a foreign agent by the Russian government under President Vladimir Putin. The center continues to conduct independent research and analysis, despite pressure from the authorities.
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