vlad.tribnet.com / Issue #571 / Social life / Reading article...

Kazakhstan and Belarus topped the list of the countries perceived to be the friendliest to Russia while Estonia was named the iciest country by an overwhelming number of Russian respondents, a recent poll held by the Levada agency in mid May revealed.

The poll, which sampled 1,600 Russian citizens in 128 towns in 48 regions of Russia, showed that 39 percent of the respondents consider Kazakhstan to be the country friendliest to Russia. The number of positive answers slightly increased compared to 33 percent last year. Belarus took second place with 38 percent of those interviewed naming it an amicable country. However, last year the number of people calling it Russia’s best friend was 47 percent. Germany came third with a stable 24 percent of all polled naming it a friendly country.

China received 19 percent of Russian’s trust showing a drop from 24 percent last year. Armenia and India were confidently named by 15 and 14 percent of the interviewed people accordingly.

France inspired 9 percent of the respondents’ belief in its friendly attitude toward Russia while the United States came with only 6 percent.

18 percent of those polled found it difficult to name the friendliest countries.

Estonia topped the list of the most unfriendly countries harvesting 60 percent of the respondents’ negative emotions. The increase in dissatisfaction with Estonia is noticeable if compared to 28 percent last year.

Georgia was named a country inhospitable to Russia by 46 percent of the polled people and Latvia received 36 percent of the dissatisfaction of the people, however showing a drop in ill will from 46 percent last year.

The United States was steadfastly named unfriendly by 35 percent of the interviewed people. Lithuania collected 32 percent showing a drop of antagonism from 42 percent last year.

The Ukraine received 23 percent, indicating a slight drop from a dissatisfaction of 28 percent last year, while Poland received a negative assessment from 20 percent of the interviewed people showing a dramatic increase from 7 percent last year. Australia, Egypt, Italy, Canada Sweden and Finland received no votes of dissatisfaction.