This survey was conducted August 20–26, 2020, among a representative sample of all Russian urban and rural residents. The sample was comprised of 1601 people aged 18 or older in 137 municipalities of 50 regions of the Russian Federation. The survey was conducted as a personal interview in respondents’ homes. The answer distribution is presented as percentages of the total number of participants along with data from previous surveys.
The statistical error of these studies for a sample of 1600 people (with a probability of 0.95) does not exceed:
3.4% for indicators around 50%
2.9% for indicators around 25%/75%
2.0% for indicators around 10%/90%
1.5% for indicators around 5%/95%
NAME FIVE COUNTRIES WHICH YOU CONSIDER TO BE RUSSIA’S CLOSEST FRIENDS, ALLIES? (respondents were shown a card with a list of countries and could choose several countries; responses shown in descending order from 2020 results; the table lists countries with ≥1.5% of responses in August 2020)
| 2006 | 2007 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
| Belarus | 47 | 38 | 50 | 49 | 35 | 34 | 46 | 51 | 55 | 50 | 46 | 49 | 62 | 58 |
| China | 24 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 20 | 40 | 43 | 34 | 39 | 40 | 42 | 40 |
| Kazakhstan | 33 | 39 | 38 | 32 | 33 | 28 | 31 | 37 | 41 | 39 | 34 | 32 | 38 | 35 |
| Armenia | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 22 | 17 |
| Azerbaijan | 7 | 5 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 16 | 13 |
| India | 15 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 9 | 7 | 13 | 18 | 18 | 14 | 19 | 14 | 13 |
| Syria | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 15 | 21 | 14 | 12 |
| Venezuela | – | 2 | 8 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 11 |
| Germany | 22 | 24 | 17 | 24 | 20 | 17 | 14 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 10 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 7 | 7 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 |
| Cuba | – | 8 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 14 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 9 |
| Uzbekistan | 6 | 6 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 9 |
| Vietnam | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 4 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 7 |
| Turkey | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 7 |
| Bulgaria | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 6 |
| Georgia | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Serbia | 4 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Tajikistan | 3 | 7 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 5 |
| Israel | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Iran | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| Italy | 7 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| North Korea | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 4 |
| Ukraine | 10 | 11 | 3 | 20 | 21 | 13 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Brazil | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 5 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Greece | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3 |
| Egypt | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 3 |
| Moldova | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Mongolia | – | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| South Korea | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Japan | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 3 |
| Austria | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
| Hungary | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Poland | 4 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Turkmenistan | 2 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Finland | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| France | 8 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Czech Republic | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| None | 13 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 4 | 6 |
| It is difficult to say | 15 | 18 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 14 | 16 | 14 | 11 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 7 |
WHICH FIVE COUNTRIES WOULD YOU SAY ARE MOST UNFRIENDLY, HOSTILE TOWARDS RUSSIA? (respondents were shown a card with a list of countries and could choose several countries; responses shown in descending order from 2020 results; the table lists countries with ≥1.5% of responses in August 2020)
| 2006 | 2007 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
| USA | 37 | 35 | 45 | 26 | 33 | 35 | 38 | 69 | 73 | 72 | 69 | 78 | 67 | 60 |
| Ukraine | 27 | 23 | 41 | 13 | 20 | 15 | 11 | 30 | 37 | 48 | 50 | 49 | 40 | 35 |
| Great Britain | 5 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 18 | 21 | 18 | 15 | 38 | 38 | 29 |
| Latvia | 46 | 36 | 35 | 36 | 35 | 26 | 21 | 23 | 25 | 23 | 24 | 26 | 27 | 26 |
| Lithuania | 42 | 32 | 35 | 35 | 34 | 25 | 17 | 24 | 25 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 26 | 26 |
| Poland | 7 | 20 | 10 | 14 | 20 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 22 | 24 | 21 | 24 | 22 | 26 |
| Georgia | 44 | 46 | 62 | 57 | 50 | 41 | 33 | 19 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 16 |
| Germany | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 24 | 17 | 18 | 15 |
| Estonia | 28 | 60 | 30 | 28 | 30 | 23 | 16 | 21 | 19 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 12 | 11 |
| Afghanistan | 12 | 11 | 7 | 14 | 15 | 8 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| Canada | 1 | <1 | 1 | <1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 9 | 7 |
| Iraq | 9 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| Iran | 7 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Syria | <1 | <1 | <1 | <1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Japan | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Israel | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| China | – | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 1 | <1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Turkey | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 29 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| France | 1 | 1 | 1 | <1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 3 |
| Australia | <1 | <1 | <1 | <1 | 1 | <1 | <1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Bulgaria | 1 | 1 | <1 | <1 | 2 | <1 | <1 | <1 | 1 | 1 | <1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Holland | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Italy | <1 | <1 | 1 | <1 | <1 | 1 | <1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Pakistan | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | <1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Romania | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Saudi Arabia | – | 1 | <1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| North Korea | <1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Azerbaijan | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Armenia | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | <1 | 1 | 1 | <1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Belarus | 2 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 2 | <1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Vietnam | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | <1 | <1 | <1 | 1 | 2 |
| Czech Republic | 1 | 2 | 1 | <1 | 1 | 1 | <1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | <1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Hungary | 1 | <1 | <1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | <1 | 1 | <1 | <1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| None | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
| It is difficult to say | 19 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 1 | 21 | 24 | 17 | 14 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 7 |
OVERALL, WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE UNITED STATES? (one answer)*
| Jan 18 | Feb 19 | May 19 | Aug 19 | Nov 19 | Jan 20 | Aug 20 | |
| Very positive | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 6 |
| Generally positive | 23 | 30 | 27 | 38 | 40 | 38 | 36 |
| Generally negative | 32 | 29 | 32 | 25 | 26 | 28 | 26 |
| Very negative | 20 | 27 | 20 | 19 | 15 | 18 | 20 |
| It is difficult to say | 22 | 11 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 |
OVERALL, WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE EUROPEAN UNION? (one answer)*
| Jan 18 | Feb 19 | May 19 | Aug 19 | Nov 19 | Jan 20 | Aug 20 | |
| Very positive | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 7 |
| Generally positive | 29 | 37 | 33 | 45 | 45 | 44 | 41 |
| Generally negative | 33 | 30 | 30 | 23 | 24 | 26 | 26 |
| Very negative | 13 | 15 | 14 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 13 |
| It is difficult to say | 22 | 13 | 19 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 13 |
*These questions were not administered February–July 2020.
OVERALL, WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT ATTITUDE TOWARDS BELARUS? (one answer)
| Feb 19 | May 19 | Aug 20 | |
| Very positive | 32 | 28 | 34 |
| Generally positive | 55 | 56 | 51 |
| Generally negative | 4 | 6 | 6 |
| Very negative | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| It is difficult to say | 7 | 9 | 7 |
IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT SHOULD BE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RUSSIA AND BELARUS? (one answer)**
| Dec 19 | Aug 20 | |
| Russia and Belarus should more actively develop economic cooperation | 44 | 41 |
| Russia and Belarus should maintain current relations | 28 | 32 |
| Russia and Belarus should form a closer alliance with unified leadership at the head | 13 | 11 |
| Belarus should become a part of the Russian Federation | 10 | 13 |
| It is difficult to say | 5 | 4 |
**This question was presented as follows: “ON DECEMBER 7TH, TALKS WERE HELD BETWEEN VLADIMIR PUTIN AND ALEXANDER LUKASHENKO. IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT SHOULD BE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RUSSIA AND BELARUS?”
Translated by Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (formerly Monterey Institute of International Studies).
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