Negative Views of Russia Mainly Limited to Western Liberal Democracies, Poll Shows

THE GUARDIAN: Annual global survey of attitudes to democracy finds many countries maintain positive views of Russia

In Asia, a majority of people were against cutting economic ties with Russia over Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Photograph: Mikhail Metzel/Sputnik/Kremlin pool/EPA
The sharp polarisation between mainly western liberal democracies and the rest of the world in perceptions of Russia has been laid bare in an annual global poll of attitudes towards democracy.

Within Europe, 55% of those surveyed for the Alliance for Democracies said they were in favour of cutting economic ties with Russia due to Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, whereas in Asia there was a majority against, and in Latin America opinion was evenly split.

Negative views of Russia are largely confined to Europe and other liberal democracies. Positive views of Russia have been retained in China, Indonesia, Egypt, Vietnam, Algeria, Morocco, Malaysia, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. » | Patrick Wintour, Diplomatic editor | Monday, May 30, 2022

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