Most Russians (66%) believe that Russia has external enemies, writes RBC with reference to the results of the Levada Center study.
According to respondents, the United States is the main ill-wisher (68%). The Russians placed Ukraine (29%) and the European Union (14%) in second and third places in the list of enemies. In addition, 10% of respondents consider the former USSR countries unfriendly.
At the same time, 23% of respondents are sure that "our country is surrounded by enemies from all sides," and 21% call Russia's most dangerous enemies "hidden, internal."
Among the “outsiders” of the rating, according to the Russians, are terrorists, countries of the Far East, corruption (they only have 3% each). 4% of the respondents consider the country's enemies "those who are in power today."
The Levada Center sociologist Denis Volkov explains that such sentiments among Russians are stimulated by an open conflict between Russia and the West, expressed in sanctions and counter-sanctions. “The United States has been on the list of Russia's main enemies since the late 1990s, and Europe and Ukraine after the outbreak of the conflict over Crimea, when the West (both the United States and Europe) unequivocally supported Ukraine,” the expert says.
