What do Russians think about new US sanctions?

Most Russians received the news of fresh US sanctions against Russia rather calmly, however, their attitude towards the US has worsened, a poll conducted by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center showed.

"68% of Russians said they had heard about a new round of sanctions initiated by the US Congress, but just 16% of those polled have detailed information on the issue. 28% of have certain fears regarding their potential negative effect on our country (39% among those who keep up with the latest news). Positive expectations have been expressed by 9% of the respondents, and 48% do not expect any changes," TASS cited the poll's results as saying.

19% suggested tit-for-tat moves, 4% opted for a tough response, while 29% of the respondents argued no response is necessary. Russia should refrain from active steps to seek the removal of the sanctions, 72% of the respondents said. On the other hand, 20% of those polled pointed to the need for certain measures to have Western sanctions removed.

Russians’ liking for the US president has declined sharply (from 27% to 18%), while negative sentiment grew from 22% to 28%. However, a neutral attitude prevails (43%).

The survey was conducted on July 30-31, 2017, with respondents interviewed over the phone. The margin of error does not exceed 3.5%.