The majority of Russians (69 percent) are positive that the ongoing hostilities in eastern Ukraine play into U.S. hands, and 67 percent suspect that the Western sanctions against Russia are also advantageous for the U.S., Levada Center sociologists have told Interfax.
In the opinion of 23 percent of 1,600 respondents polled in 46 regions on Sept. 19-22, the hostilities in Ukraine are primarily advantageous for the incumbent Ukrainian authorities. A tenth of the respondents said the hostilities were needed by the authorities of European countries, and 7 percent insisted the war in Ukraine was not to anyone’s advantage.
Besides, 18 percent said the Western sanctions against Russia were advantageous for the European administration, 11 percent suspected the advantage of the Ukrainian administration and 9 percent said the sanctions did not do good to anyone.
Seventy-one percent of Russians believe that the main purpose of tightening Western sanctions is “to weaken and humiliate Russia”. Another 18 percent presumed the West was trying “to restore the geopolitical balance disrupted by the Crimean attachment to Russia” and 4 percent said the purpose was “to stop the war, destruction and human casualties in eastern Ukraine.”
Sixty-eight percent of the respondents believe Russia should “continue its policy” in retaliation against the sanctions, a fifth (22 percent) call for “seeking a compromise and making concessions in order to stop the sanctions” and 10 percent are undecided.
The sociologists asked respondents about their attitude to the possible Russian ban on imports of certain categories of Western commodities.
Some 78 percent of Russians said they would have a positive attitude to the retaliatory ban on Western alcohol imports (14 percent responded negatively), 68 percent proposed to ban imports of household chemicals (24 percent were against) and Western video and audio products (21 percent were against) and 65 percent – a ban on cosmetics and perfumes (24 percent ).
Positions differed most with regard to vehicles (49 percent for and 38 percent against), household appliances (46 percent for and 43 percent against), computers and mobile phones (46 percent vs. 45 percent ) and medicines (41 percent vs. 51 percent ).
