POLL reveals Russians perceive Baltic countries as a threat
NordenBladet – A recent poll conducted by the Levada Center in Moscow and commissioned by the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has revealed that residents of Russia consider their relations with Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania to be strained, and view the Baltic countries as hostile and a threat to Russia. The poll, which surveyed 1,600 people and included focus group interviews in five cities, found that on a scale of 1-16, with 1 being the most positive and 16 being the most negative, respondents gave the Baltics a score of 4-8 in terms of the level of threat they pose to Russia.
The poll (here: levada.ru) also found that the general attitude towards Estonia has not changed much, but residents of Russia have become more critical of the Estonian government. Respondents in the focus group interviews were critical of the Baltic countries for joining NATO, suggesting that they have surrendered their independence in doing so, and that Estonians hate Russia and are rewriting World War II history and removing monuments.
In terms of relations with other western neighbors, respondents were the most positive about Belarus, scoring it 1-2 on the scale, with Finland and Norway receiving scores of 7-8. Relations with Ukraine received the maximum negative score of 16 from most respondents.
Additionally, the poll found that support for the war in Ukraine has fallen slightly, with 81% of respondents supporting the Russian invasion in March, falling to 75% in June, and 71% in December.
The presentation of the survey results was organized by the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday.
Featured image: Russia, Moscow (Pexels)
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