© Artyom Geodakyan/TASS via Getty Images
A celebration for Russia Day on June 12 in Moscow’s Red Square.
In the wake of allegations that the Russian government used social media and other tactics to disrupt the 2016 United States presidential election, roughly seven-in-ten Russians believe their government
did not try to influence the election.
Only 15% say their government did try to meddle, a new Pew Research Center survey shows.
More broadly,
Russians are about evenly split over whether their country tries to influence the internal affairs of other countries: 45% say yes, 46% say no. In contrast,
an overwhelming majority of Russians (85%) think the U.S. government interferes in the domestic affairs of other countries.
Regarding relations with the West,
roughly eight-in-ten Russians think that Western sanctions, initially imposed on account of Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014,
are having an effect on the Russian economy, with 47% saying the sanctions are having a
major effect. Tensions with the West are palpable for many Russians:
Eight-in-ten consider NATO a threat, with 45% saying the organization is a
major threat to their country.
Globally, Russians believe their country is playing an increasingly important role.
Nearly three-in-four (72%) think Russia plays a more important role in the world than it did 10 years ago, up from 59% last year. Most, however, also believe Russia does not get the respect it deserves. About six-in-ten say Russia should get more respect internationally than it does, with roughly half as many (32%) saying Russia is as respected as it should be.
Comment: The U.S. miscalculated in the 1990s. Their NATO/EU expansion, 'democracy promotion', and aggression toward the Russian Federation only turned Russians against them, creating a potential enemy instead of an ally. Now Russia is going her own way, and aside from the nuisances of having to deal with the world's dying superpower, Russians seem to be content with that.