Younger Russians Oppose Invasion But Putin Narrative Dominates, New Lord Ashcroft Poll Finds
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LONDON, March 18, 2022 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --
Most Say Ukraine Resistance Stronger Than Expected
Most Russians support the "special military operation" in Ukraine and have a
favourable view of Vladimir Putin, but those aged 18-24 oppose the invasion and
are more sceptical towards the Kremlin line, according to a new survey from
Lord Ashcroft Polls.
The poll of 1,007 Russians, conducted by telephone from a neighbouring state
between 11 and 13 March, also finds that Russians most blame the US and NATO
for the conflict, and believe Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk should be part of
Russia. However, most say they are feeling the effect of sanctions, and nearly
half say Russia's reputation has been damaged in recent years. The findings
include:
- 76% said they supported the special military operation, with 57% doing so
strongly. However, most (53%) said Ukraine seems to be resisting more strongly
than they would have expected.
- 91% said Crimea should be part of Russia; 68% said the same of both Donetsk
and Luhansk.
- 79% said NATO expansion was a threat to Russian security and sovereignty, and
81% said the invasion was necessary to protect Russia. 67% said it was
necessary to "demilitarise and de-Nazify" Ukraine.
- More than half (55%) said sanctions had "started to affect me or people I
know". Nearly one third said they thought life for ordinary Russians had got
worse over the last 20 years, and 45% said they thought Russia's international
reputation had been damaged in recent years.
- 85% had a positive view of Vladimir Putin, and 88% of the Russian military.
85% also said they trust Russia's current leadership to make the right
decisions for the country, and 78% said they thought Putin had ordinary
Russians' interests at heart.
- 82% had a favourable view of China, compared to 12% for the US and 8% for
NATO. 80% said the US had some or a great deal of responsibility for the war,
and NATO 77%; 38% said the same of Russia.
- Those aged 18-24 were the only group more likely to say they opposed the
invasion (46%) than supported it (40%). They were much more likely than
Russians in general to reject the argument that the invasion was needed to
protect Russia or to demilitarise and de-Nazify Ukraine. A quarter said they
had an unfavourable view of Putin (compared to 11% overall) and they were the
only group more likely than not to see President Zalensky as Ukraine's
legitimate leader. More than half (54%) said they favoured withdrawing Russian
forces from the country.
In his commentary on the poll results, Lord Ashcroft writes:
"A poll from Russia comes with two obvious caveats. First, the Putin regime
effectively controls what Russians see and hear about the 'special military
operation' in Ukraine. Second, with protests crushed and prison terms for
spreading of 'fake news' about the war, many might be cautious in talking about
their views to a stranger. We also know, however, that a crisis can often
prompt a surge of national loyalty. However, the survey suggests that Putin has
managed to shape Russian opinion strongly in his favour - at least for the
time being."
The full poll results are available at LordAshcroftPolls.com.
LORD ASHCROFT KCMG PC is an international businessman, philanthropist, author
and pollster. He is a former treasurer and deputy chairman of the UK
Conservative Party, and honorary chairman and a former treasurer of the
International Democratic Union. Lord Ashcroft has been polling since 2005, both
in the UK and internationally, winning a reputation for objective and impartial
research and analysis.
LordAshcroftPolls.com // LordAshcroft.com // Twitter/Facebook: @LordAshcroft
SOURCE: Lord Ashcroft Polls
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