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The vast majority of Russians want normalization of relations with the West
After Trump was elected, the share of Russians who have a bad opinion of America decreased from 73 to 51%, while those who have a good opinion increased from 17 to 30%.
According to a survey by the Levada Center, 58% of Russians support rapprochement between Russia and Western countries, supporting the expansion of economic, political and cultural ties. Only 26% of respondents believe it is necessary to reduce such contacts, and the rest are undecided. This is reported by The Moscow Times.
These results indicate the desire of the majority of Russian citizens to improve relations with Western countries, despite the current geopolitical situation.
It is noted that Russians' attitude towards the United States has noticeably improved amid negotiations to end the war.
Trump himself played an important role in this. After his election, the share of Russians who have a bad attitude towards America decreased from 73 to 51%, while those who have a good attitude increased from 17 to 30%. While Russians did not like Joe Biden at all (79% have a bad or very bad attitude towards him), they rather like Trump – 43% have a “mostly good” attitude towards him and another 8% have a “very good” attitude – although they do not seem to know what to expect from him: 31% could not decide on their attitude towards Trump.
This perception of Trump is primarily related to hopes for an end to the war and attempts to improve relations with Russia.
Respondents also expressed hope that after the end of the war against Ukraine, relations with the West will gradually return to the level they were before the invasion. Thus, 50% of those surveyed believe that the situation is normalizing, while 32% expect further escalation of tensions and a possible new phase of the Cold War.
