As of early 2026, most Russians still have a negative view of the European Union, unlike their relationship with the US, which has improved since last year. This is according to a new survey by the Levada Center, the only non-governmental opinion research institute in Moscow. While only 21 percent of respondents view the EU positively, the figure for the US is 33 percent. At the same time, 58 percent rate their relationship with Europeans negatively, but only 45 percent rate their relationship with the US negatively. According to the Levada Center, Washington's popularity rose with US President Donald Trump's peace efforts last year, while Europe's popularity has remained consistently low over the past four years since Russia's war in Ukraine.

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The feelings are unevenly distributed. Among young Russians (up to 25 years of age), the USA (50 percent) and Europe (35 percent) are more popular than among older people, as well as among the wealthier (USA: 39 percent, Europe: 25 percent) and among those who use YouTube as a source of information (USA: 51 percent, Europe: 39 percent). It is not surprising that neither the USA nor the EU are doing particularly well with Putin supporters, where the bad reviews clearly outweigh the positive ones — as well as among the citizens of Russia, who primarily obtain information on television. The majority of residents of Moscow, the center of political and economic power, are also critical of both continents: 72 percent of those surveyed regard their relations with the EU and 55 percent with the USA as poor to very poor.

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China's aid to Ukraine is paying off

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The same survey confirms Beijing's positive image in Russia, which has been receiving economic and military aid from China since 2022. According to Levada, relations have been at a consistently high level since 1995, but have improved even further since Moscow's confrontation with the West intensified. 83 percent of Russian citizens view Beijing positively, with only 5 percent viewing it negatively. Even among those who get their information from YouTube or other internet sources, the basic picture is not much different: approval outweighs disapproval many times over. The use of news sources other than Russian state television does not lead to a reversal of negative perceptions, even in relation to Ukraine, Russia's adversary in the war, although these perceptions are somewhat lessened: 55 percent of YouTube users view the neighboring country in a negative light, compared to 64 percent of the overall population.

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The poll was conducted by the Levada Center in January among 1,617 citizens in 50 regions of Russia, usually at the respondents' homes. The organization, named after sociologist Yuri Levada, has been regularly researching public opinion in Russia since 1988. In 2016, however, the government declared the institute a foreign agent because of its international clients at the time. The willingness to participate in the surveys has not declined dramatically since Russia's so-called special operation against Ukraine four years ago, institute director Denis Volkov emphasizes on the organization's website. Nor do only government supporters take part in the surveys, as some critics have claimed.

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