Anti-U.S., Georgia moods on the rise in Russia – survey

PanARMENIAN.Net - A growing number of Russians are critical of the behavior of the U.S. and Georgia, a survey conducted by the independent Levada pollster showed, according to RIA Novosti.

About 35 percent of those polled said they were critical of U.S. policy, while almost 50 percent expressed dissatisfaction with Georgia's international politics, the poll showed.

That has risen since March 2011, when 33 percent expressed “negative” emotions toward the United States, and 46 percent toward Georgia.

Last week, U.S. Ambassador to Moscow, Michael McFaul said that the rise of anti-American attitude during the Russian presidential campaign had come as an unpleasant surprise to the United States.

President-elect Vladimir Putin, who has often taken staunch stand against aspects of U.S. foreign policy, has repeatedly accused the United States of sponsoring the Russian opposition, a claim which was strongly denied by McFaul.

The Levada survey also revealed that over half of Russians (56 percent) were against scrapping visas for Georgians.

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili announced in February a move to unilaterally abolish the country's visa regime with Russia. Moscow said it would not scrap visas for Georgians while Georgia continued to claim the nation was "occupied" during the Soviet era.

Russia-Georgia relations have been at a low since the August 2008 war over South Ossetia. However, the two countries signed a landmark trade deal last year, which allowed Russia to join the World Trade Organization after 18 years of negotiations.

The Levada poll contacted 1,633 respondents in 130 Russian cities.