Russian Perceptions of the U.S. Surge as Trumps Influence Grows, Survey Shows

Almost one-third of Russians currently have a favorable opinion of the United States, nearly twice the percentage recorded before Donald Trump assumed the presidency in January, as indicated by a survey conducted by the Levada Center and released on Thursday.

Public perception of the U.S. had sharply declined to 12% in May 2023, marking the lowest point since Levada began its tracking efforts in 1997. This negativity persisted significantly following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The most recent survey, carried out in late February with 1,615 participants from 50 Russian regions, revealed that 30% of Russian adults now hold a positive view of the U.S., an increase from 16% in September. Conversely, the percentage of those with negative views of America decreased dramatically from 72% in September to 51%.

Additionally, the number of respondents who were unsure about their opinions rose from 13% to 20% during the same time frame.

Since Trump took office and promised to negotiate a quick resolution to the conflict in Ukraine, state media in Russia have increasingly depicted him as a practical leader willing to engage with Moscow. However, reports suggest that the Kremlin has discreetly instructed media outlets to reduce their positive portrayal of Trump.

Historically, Russian perceptions of the U.S. have varied with global events.

In 2008, following the Russo-Georgian War, American favorability among Russians dropped significantly after the Bush administration condemned Russia’s actions and provided humanitarian aid to Georgia. Nevertheless, positive views later recovered, reaching a peak of 63% three years later, according to Levada.

A similar downturn occurred after the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and Russia’s backing of separatists in eastern Ukraine, which led to U.S. sanctions against Russia.

The most significant rebound in positive sentiment toward the U.S. post-annexation happened in the summer of 2018 after the Helsinki Summit, during which Trump publicly sided with President Vladimir Putin over U.S. intelligence agencies regarding allegations of electoral interference.