The poll shows that 72% of Russians now have a negative view of the United States, up from 55% in February. Meanwhile, 17% say they have a positive view, according to the poll, which was published on April 15 based on the answers of 1,632 respondents polled nationally at the end of March. The survey also shows that attitudes towards the European Union have deteriorated, while Russians’ view of China, Moscow’s ally, has improved significantly over the past six months, with 83% of Russians now having a favorable view of the country. The war in Ukraine has boosted the popularity of President Vladimir Putin, according to Levada, Russia’s most trusted researcher. A recent poll found that Mr Putin’s approval rose to 83% in March from 71% in February. Russian state television has portrayed the war in Ukraine as a “special military operation” to defend Russian-speaking people in the country from US- and EU-backed nationalists, promoting the narrative that the real confrontation in Ukraine is between Moscow and the West. State television remains the main source of news for the majority of Russians, with the independent media largely silenced in recent weeks following the passage of strict censorship laws. His audience is also leaning. The results of the survey seem to reflect its influence: Of those surveyed over the age of 55, 82% said they viewed the US negatively, 20 percentage points higher than the 25- to 39-year-old age group. The results from Russia echo a Pew poll showing a similar dramatic change in the way American citizens view their Russian counterparts. A Pew Research Center poll released on April 6 found that 70 percent of Americans now consider Russia an enemy of the United States, up from 41 percent in January. The view seems to go beyond party lines, with 72% of Democrats and 69% of Republicans having it.
