Poll: only 3% of Russians perceive NATO as a protection, not a threat

Only 3% of Russian respondents believe the Alliance is protection.

NATO, according to 67% of Russians, is a threat to them, according to a survey published by the American company Gallup.

According to a survey conducted in 2016, only 3% of Russian respondents believe the Alliance is protection and 20% do not perceive it either as protection or as a threat.

Gallup stresses that in this way, the number of Russians who believe that NATO is a threat, increased by 29 percentage points since 2012 and is the highest since the company survey on the topic in Russia in 2008.

In Ukraine, 29% of respondents said that they perceive NATO as protection, 35% consider it a threat, while 26% neither one nor the other. Gallup believes that such an attitude to the Alliance in Ukraine due to the fact that the population is tired of conflict in the Donbass, suffering from economic problems and rising crime rates.

“Not seeing a clear solution to the conflict in Eastern Ukraine, the Ukrainians may lose faith in the fact that NATO is able to help them in this crisis,” writes Gallup.

In addition, according to the survey, 3% of Belarusian citizens perceive NATO as a defense, 54% – as a threat, 30% do not agree with any one statement. In Moldova on NATO rely 16%, it is considered a threat to 27%, and 38% do not think the Alliance or a threat, or protection.

37% of Georgians see NATO as a defense, 8% – as a threat, 35% believe that the Alliance – neither the defense nor the threat. In addition, the Alliance believes the protection of 8% of Armenian citizens, 8% citizens of Tajikistan, 19% of citizens of Kyrgyzstan, 21% of citizens of Azerbaijan, 25% of citizens of Kazakhstan.

According to Gallup, in the Eastern part of Europe more than NATO expect the Kosovars (90%) and Albania (70%). In Montenegro, which is expected to soon join the Alliance, NATO is perceived as a protection of 21% of the respondents, 29% believe that the Alliance – the threat, 35% do not agree neither with that, nor with another.

52% of Estonians believe that the Alliance – defence, 17% consider him a threat, 26% do not adhere to either of the other point of view. In Lithuania, 57% perceive NATO as protection, 13% as threatened, 25% – neither as a shield nor as a threat. In Latvia, the figures are 49%, 16% and 29% respectively.

Very skeptical towards the activities of the Alliance are in Serbia: 6% of survey participants believe the Alliance is protection, 64% of threat, 19%; and for none of those.

Contradictory attitude towards NATO can also be seen in some countries in Eastern Europe that are members of the Alliance. For example, 23% of Greeks are convinced that NATO is a protection, 19% risk, 45% do not agree with any of the allegations. But the Alliance are great in Poland: 62% counting on his defense, 8% considered threatened, 22% – neither protection nor threat.

The survey was conducted by telephone within 2016. It was attended by a thousand people older than 15 from each country. The exception is Russia, where he was interrogated 2 thousand adult respondents.

© 2017, paradox. All rights reserved.