You're reading: Poll: More Russians think Kyiv growing apart from Moscow

Moscow - Ukraine is growing apart from Moscow and taking up with the European Union and the United States, Russians told Levada Center. 

Some 40% of the respondents insisted that the gap between Russia and Ukraine had been widening, Levada Center told Interfax on Tuesday, Nov.12.

The opinion has become more pronounced. It was shared by 21% of the respondents in 2011 and 32% in 2012.

A third of the respondents (32%) claimed that Ukraine was neither growing apart nor taking up but maneuvering between Russia and the West (the opinion was supported by 38% of Russians in 2011 and 36% in 2012). Only 14% said that Ukraine wished to become closer to Russia. The number of such respondents has been declining steadily (29% in 2011 and 19% in 2012). Another 14% were hesitant to answer.

Some 47% of the respondents said nothing would change in Russia-Ukraine relations in the future (the indicators stood at 50% in 2011 and 51% in 2012). Nineteen percent forecasted deterioration of relations and 17% voiced the opposite opinion. Still hopes have started to vanish. There were 24% of respondents were optimistic and 11% pessimistic in 2011.

Almost a half of the respondents (49%) told Levada Center they wished Ukraine to be an independent country maintaining neighborly and mutually beneficial relations with Russia. Some 35% suggested Russia’s economic and political control over Kyiv.

A majority (55%) stands for open borders but 23% argue that Russia should close the border with Ukraine and introduce a visa regime and customs control. A small group (16%) made a radical proposal of unification of Russia and Ukraine into a single state.

Most of Russians (61%) do not regard Ukraine as “a foreign country.” They treat it almost as “a homeland”, a place to spend one’s vacation and visit family members and friends. Thirty-seven percent uttered the opposite opinion.

Notably, Russian sentiments are practically the same about Belarus (34% view it as a foreign country and 63% do not) and completely different about Georgia (58% call it a foreign country and only 36% have the opposite opinion).

Levada Center polled 1,603 respondents in 130 towns and cities in 45 regions in late October.

Ukraine is set to sign an association agreement with the European Union. The issue will be on the agenda of the Eastern Partnership Vilnius summit on November 28-29.