Shift in Russian sentiment: Trump's presidency improves U.S. image
Russians are beginning to view the USA more favourably, according to the latest survey. Experts believe one reason is the change of power across the ocean.
What do you need to know?
- Change of power in the USA: Donald Trump's return to the presidency and discussions about ending the war with Ukraine have improved relations between Russians and Americans.
- Increase in positive opinions: About 30% of Russians currently express a positive attitude towards the USA, an increase of 14 percentage points compared to September 2024.
- Decrease in negative opinions: The number of Russians who view the USA negatively has decreased from 72% to 51%.
Russians increasingly view the United States in a positive light. "Around 30% of Russians now view the United States favorably, nearly double the share from before U.S. President Donald Trump took office," reports the Moscow Times. This data comes from a survey conducted by the Levada Center, an independent Russian public opinion research organization.
What influenced the change in Russians' opinions?
According to experts—and unsurprisingly—the first factor is the change of power in the USA. When Donald Trump resumed the presidency, relations between Moscow and Washington changed, impacting public sentiment. Similarly, the beginning of talks about ending the war with Ukraine contributed to improving relations between Russians and Americans.
The change is noticeable because, compared to September 2024, the percentage of Russians with a positive attitude toward the USA has almost doubled.
It's important to note that 20% of surveyed Russians still have difficulty defining their attitude towards Americans. However, every other Russian (51%) continues to speak negatively about the USA.
The survey, which included 1,615 people across Russia, was conducted from February 20 to 26. The Levada Center, which conducted the survey, was labeled a "foreign agent" by the Russian Ministry of Justice in 2016.
