Latest news with #Levada
Miami Herald
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Most Russians No Longer See US as Enemy Nation: Poll
The proportion of Russians who view the U.S. as the most hostile country towards Moscow has almost halved over the last year, according to a survey. The poll by the independent Levada Center found 40 percent of respondents agreed that the U.S. was the most hostile nation towards Russia, down from 76 percent in 2024. Aleksei Miniailo, an independent Russian sociologist who founded a separate polling group called Chronicles, told Newsweek Monday that the Levada figures show how fragile the effect of anti-U.S. propaganda in Russia actually is. Newsweek has contacted the Kremlin for comment. The Kremlin and its propagandists have framed Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine as a proxy war with the West, regularly issuing nuclear threats towards Kyiv's allies. However the Levada center polling shows shows that this antipathy towards the U.S. is not shared by most Russians, which could be a backdrop to a thawing of ties between the countries since President Donald Trump came into office. The Levada Center asked 1,613 Russian adults between May 22 and May 28 about their attitudes to different countries in a poll with a margin of error no greater than 3.4 percent. The share of respondents who named the U.S. as the most hostile country towards Russia was 40 percent-down from 76 percent in 2024. This dip saw the U.S. drop from first to fourth on the list of hostile countries for the first time in two decades and was behind Germany (55 percent), the U.K. (49 percent) and Ukraine (43 percent), against which Moscow has been waging war since 2022. Levada said that attitudes toward the U.S. continue to improve amid the Trump administration's peace-making efforts. It found over one third (37 percent) of respondents had a positive attitude toward the U.S, 21 percentage points since September 2024. Less than half (47 percent) had a negative attitude, down by 25 percentage points in the same time frame. The survey found that the most positive attitude towards the U.S. came from those under 24 years old (49 percent), Muscovites (42 percent), and those who had visited other European countries. The groups with the most negative attitude toward the United States were respondents aged 40-54 (52 percent) and those who have never been to European countries (49 percent). Meanwhile respondents named Belarus (80 percent), China (64 percent), Kazakhstan (36 percent), India (32 percent) and North Korea (30 percent) as Russia's "closest friends and allies." Miniailo, a Russian opposition politician from the research group Chronicles, said the Levada findings show that propaganda against the West had a strong effect but this can fade very quickly when it comes up against pro-U.S. information flows, such as from Hollywood films. He said the key factor is whether Kremlin opinion, stated by propaganda outlets is contested widely, which is why an anti-war position is criminally pursued in Russia. "However, it's hardly possible to criminalize watching Hollywood movies, so the propaganda discourse is challenged by soft power," he added, noting that Chronicles' own polling in 2024 found that Russians wanted to see relations with the West restored, despite Kremlin messaging. Levada Center: "The most hostile countries for Russians are Germany, the U.K., Ukraine, the United States and Poland; For the first time in 20 years of measurements, the U.S. dropped from first place to fourth place on this list." Aleksei Miniailo, Russian opposition politician and sociologist: "This figure shows how fragile the effect of propaganda actually effects decay very fast." Russian media continue to disparage Ukraine's Western allies for their support of Kyiv against Russian aggression. The Levada polling suggests that fewer people are listening to this messaging, as the Trump administration continues to push for negotiations to end the Ukraine war. Related Articles Zelensky Addresses 'Complicated' Aftermath of Oval Office Blowup With TrumpRussian Troops Advance Into Another Ukraine Region: MoscowPutin Warned of Dual Threat to Russian Economy: 'Countdown to a Crisis'Ukraine Destroys 13 Russian Tanks, 100 Armored Vehicles as Locomotive Hit 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Newsweek
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Most Russians No Longer See US as Enemy Nation: Poll
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The proportion of Russians who view the U.S. as the most hostile country towards Moscow has almost halved over the last year, according to a survey. The poll by the independent Levada Center found 40 percent of respondents agreed that the U.S. was the most hostile nation towards Russia, down from 76 percent in 2024. Aleksei Miniailo, an independent Russian sociologist who founded a separate polling group called Chronicles, told Newsweek Monday that the Levada figures show how fragile the effect of anti-U.S. propaganda in Russia actually is. Newsweek has contacted the Kremlin for comment. A Russian national tricolor flag flies next to a US.. national flag sitting on the U.S. embassy building in Moscow on March 13, 2025. A Russian national tricolor flag flies next to a US.. national flag sitting on the U.S. embassy building in Moscow on March 13, It Matters The Kremlin and its propagandists have framed Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine as a proxy war with the West, regularly issuing nuclear threats towards Kyiv's allies. However the Levada center polling shows shows that this antipathy towards the U.S. is not shared by most Russians, which could be a backdrop to a thawing of ties between the countries since President Donald Trump came into office. What To Know The Levada Center asked 1,613 Russian adults between May 22 and May 28 about their attitudes to different countries in a poll with a margin of error no greater than 3.4 percent. The share of respondents who named the U.S. as the most hostile country towards Russia was 40 percent—down from 76 percent in 2024. This dip saw the U.S. drop from first to fourth on the list of hostile countries for the first time in two decades and was behind Germany (55 percent), the U.K. (49 percent) and Ukraine (43 percent), against which Moscow has been waging war since 2022. Levada said that attitudes toward the U.S. continue to improve amid the Trump administration's peace-making efforts. It found over one third (37 percent) of respondents had a positive attitude toward the U.S, 21 percentage points since September 2024. Less than half (47 percent) had a negative attitude, down by 25 percentage points in the same time frame. The survey found that the most positive attitude towards the U.S. came from those under 24 years old (49 percent), Muscovites (42 percent), and those who had visited other European countries. The groups with the most negative attitude toward the United States were respondents aged 40-54 (52 percent) and those who have never been to European countries (49 percent). Meanwhile respondents named Belarus (80 percent), China (64 percent), Kazakhstan (36 percent), India (32 percent) and North Korea (30 percent) as Russia's "closest friends and allies." Miniailo, a Russian opposition politician from the research group Chronicles, said the Levada findings show that propaganda against the West had a strong effect but this can fade very quickly when it comes up against pro-U.S. information flows, such as from Hollywood films. He said the key factor is whether Kremlin opinion, stated by propaganda outlets is contested widely, which is why an anti-war position is criminally pursued in Russia. "However, it's hardly possible to criminalize watching Hollywood movies, so the propaganda discourse is challenged by soft power," he added, noting that Chronicles' own polling in 2024 found that Russians wanted to see relations with the West restored, despite Kremlin messaging. What People Are Saying Levada Center: "The most hostile countries for Russians are Germany, the U.K., Ukraine, the United States and Poland; For the first time in 20 years of measurements, the U.S. dropped from first place to fourth place on this list." Aleksei Miniailo, Russian opposition politician and sociologist: "This figure shows how fragile the effect of propaganda actually effects decay very fast." What Happens Next Russian media continue to disparage Ukraine's Western allies for their support of Kyiv against Russian aggression. The Levada polling suggests that fewer people are listening to this messaging, as the Trump administration continues to push for negotiations to end the Ukraine war.
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Thanks to Trump, Russians now see Germany, not US, as most hostile country: survey
Germany is now considered the most hostile country towards Russia, a survey conducted by the independent Moscow-based polling institute Levada showed. The survey found that 55 per cent of respondents named Germany as the most unfriendly state – a 40 percentage point increase since May 2020. In contrast, the United States, which held the top position for two decades, was named by only 40 per cent of respondents, compared to 76 per cent last year. This shift is attributed to the revival of Russian-American relations under US President Donald Trump, the institute said. Germany, however, has faced increasing criticism from the Russian leadership, particularly due to its arms deliveries to Ukraine, which has been under attack by Russia. The tone has notably hardened since Chancellor Friedrich Merz took office last month. The United Kingdom ranked second among countries perceived as hostile to Russia, with 49 per cent of respondents, followed by Ukraine at 43 per cent. 02:33 Nato kick-starts its largest-ever air force exercise in Germany, but says Russia is not the target Nato kick-starts its largest-ever air force exercise in Germany, but says Russia is not the target The representative survey also asked Russians to name the five countries they associate as having the closest and friendliest relations with Russia.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Survey: Russians now see Germany, not US, as most hostile country
Germany is now considered the most hostile country towards Russia, a survey conducted by the independent Moscow-based polling institute Levada showed. The survey found that 55% of respondents named Germany as the most unfriendly state - a 40 percentage point increase since May 2020. In contrast, the United States, which held the top position for two decades, was named by only 40% of respondents, compared to 76% last year. This shift is attributed to the revival of Russian-American relations under US President Donald Trump, the institute said. Germany, however, has faced increasing criticism from the Russian leadership, particularly due to its arms deliveries to Ukraine, which has been under attack by Russia. The tone has notably hardened since Chancellor Friedrich Merz took office last month. The United Kingdom ranked second among countries perceived as hostile to Russia, with 49% of respondents, followed by Ukraine at 43%. Best Friends: Belarus and China The representative survey also asked Russians to name the five countries they associate as having the closest and friendliest relations with Russia. Belarus topped the list with 80% of respondents, followed by China with two-thirds. Kazakhstan ranked third with 36%, followed by India with 32% and North Korea at 30%. The results reflect the Kremlin's official policy of dividing the world into friendly and unfriendly states since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Germany, which was long one of the main buyers of Russian gas in the European Union, has faced criticism in Moscow for its military support for Ukraine. The representative survey was conducted between May 22 and May 28, with 1,613 people aged 18 and older participating, Levada said.
New York Times
19-04-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Russians Wonder: Can Trump Really Negotiate Peace in Ukraine?
Many Russians cheered President Trump's election because they thought he could make a deal for a negotiated peace in Ukraine that would satisfy the Kremlin. Three months into Mr. Trump's second term, the disappointment in Moscow is palpable. In interviews, people in the Kremlin's orbit have revealed frustration both with Mr. Trump's whirlwind approach to the talks and with President Vladimir V. Putin's apparent inflexibility in the negotiations. With Mr. Trump and his top diplomat warning on Friday that the United States could walk away from the discussion, some of them fear that a collapse in talks could lead to a further escalation of the fighting. Movement toward peace is going 'much more slowly than it should be, and not the way one would want it to be,' said Grigory A. Yavlinsky, a liberal politician in Moscow who held a rare meeting with Mr. Putin in 2023 to urge a cease-fire. In the meantime, he said, Mr. Putin 'is just fighting, he's seizing the moment. He wants to achieve the maximum before substantive talks.' The question now is whether Mr. Putin climbs down from demands that seem little changed from the cease-fire conditions he outlined last summer, when he said Ukraine would have to agree not to join NATO and also withdraw from a large swath of territory before Russia stopped fighting. For now, the increasingly blunt warnings from Mr. Trump and his lieutenants that they could run out of patience have had little effect. Mr. Putin has not budged from his rejection of a monthlong cease-fire that Ukraine agreed to in March. Given Mr. Trump's lack of sympathy for Ukraine and his deepening conflict with American allies, Mr. Putin only appears to be gaining in confidence that Russia can eventually defeat Ukraine in a war of attrition. The Kremlin is dangling the possibility of lucrative American business deals in Russia in the hopes of appealing to Mr. Trump no matter what happens on the battlefield. The top American diplomat, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, said on Friday that the United States could decide 'in a matter of days' to 'move on' from trying to end the war. Mr. Trump said later that 'if for some reason one of the two parties makes it very difficult,' the United States could decide that 'we're just going to take a pass.' But the Kremlin has stayed steadfast in signaling that it's in no hurry for a deal, while claiming to remain 'open for dialogue.' Dmitri A. Medvedev, a former president, on Friday spoke for his country's pro-war commentariat in posting that Moscow wouldn't mind if the United States walked away from Ukraine, because 'then Russia will figure it out faster.' Russians largely welcomed Mr. Trump's return to the White House — most of all, the independent pollster Levada reported, because it gave them 'hope that the war will end.' Mr. Putin has said little about the war in public since a visit to an Arctic submarine last month in which he claimed Russia was ready to 'finish them off,' referring to Ukraine. He was host to a Trump envoy, Steve Witkoff, this month for their third hourslong meeting since February. American and Russian officials have met for in-person talks in Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United States. None of those meetings have produced clear progress in reducing the intensity of the fighting or of Russia's missile strikes on Ukrainian cities. Nevertheless, Vice President JD Vance said on Friday that the White House still felt 'optimistic that we can hopefully bring this brutal war to a close.' Behind the scenes, some Russians with Kremlin ties are voicing exasperation, though speaking only on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the ongoing diplomacy. A person in touch with senior officials said that Mr. Putin had proved more recalcitrant than anticipated in agreeing to a cease-fire and that he appeared ready to keep fighting for full control of the four Ukrainian regions he claimed as part of Russia in 2022. A second person close to the Kremlin said that despite the many hours Mr. Putin had spent speaking to Mr. Trump and to Mr. Witkoff, the Russian president appeared to have struggled to make it clear that he would not stop fighting without achieving some element of his broader goals, like ruling out further NATO expansion. And an analyst close to the government said that Mr. Putin had yet to show the flexibility that many expected on territorial issues like the future of the four Ukrainian regions. At the same time, he said, the Kremlin was trying to 'diversify the negotiations portfolio' with the United States to include matters like energy, the Arctic and spaceflight, so that rapprochement with Washington could continue even if talks on Ukraine failed. Some Russians say they believe that the impatience voiced by the White House is driven by American politics, given Mr. Trump's campaign promise to end the war quickly, and that a compromise remains possible. Feodor Voitolovsky, director of the Institute of World Economy and International Relations in Moscow, said that he had been surprised by Washington's 'naïveté' about how fast peace could be achieved but that both countries were 'at the beginning of the road' to getting there. 'Russia is not going to sacrifice its interests or its security in order to help Trump solve his domestic political problems,' Mr. Voitolovsky said in a phone interview. If the United States does walk away from the Ukraine talks, he said, 'Russia will have to create the conditions for a diplomatic process' with 'new uses of force.' Mr. Yavlinsky, the liberal politician in Moscow, held a late-night meeting with Mr. Putin in October 2023 to urge him to consider a cease-fire. Like many in Russia's business and political elite, he criticized the Biden administration for not trying harder to achieve a negotiated peace. After last November's election, Mr. Yavlinsky lauded Mr. Trump's stated desire to end the war. But now, Mr. Yavlinsky said, Mr. Trump is failing to discuss Europe's postwar security — a necessary component for any deal — and urged more European involvement. 'The American administration has only the most general wishes of what it wants,' Mr. Yavlinsky said. 'There is no understanding of how exactly to achieve it.'
