Russia’s leading independent polling agency, the Levada Centre for Public Opinion, found that more Russians have a positive view of the US than those with a negative view for the first time since 2014.
The results, which were published on Thursday, indicate that the number of people who regard the US positively rose considerably, while the number of individuals who view the nation negatively dropped significantly from nearly 70 percent to 42 percent.
The polling agency pointed to President Trump’s reconciliatory rhetoric surrounding Russia for the rise in positive views of the US.
They said: “Russians are tired of the policy of confrontation with the West, which has been going on for several years and has resulted in the decline of people’s incomes.”
President Trump commented on the need for an improved relationship with Russia in July, stating: “I think we have great opportunities together as two countries that frankly have not been getting along very well for the last number of years.
“I really think the world wants to see us get along.”
He also appeared to deny Russia’s involvement in the 2016 US elections at the Helsinki summit, which drew sharp criticism from commentators across the US.
Questioned whether he thought Russia has interfered in the US elections, President Trump said: “I don’t see any reason why it would be Russia.”
He later clarified his statements upon returning to the US, stating: “The sentence should have been: ‘I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t be Russia’.”
President Trump nevertheless faced sharp criticism in the wake of his comments, including from Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan.
The senior politician said: “There is no question that Russia interfered in our elections.
“The President must appreciate that Russia is not our ally.
“There is no moral equivalence between the US and Russia, which remains hostile to our most basic values and ideals.”
The data published by the polling agency represents the highest level of positivity regarding the US since January 2014, just a month before Russia annexed Crimea in Ukraine, leading to widespread condemnation and sanctions, including from the US.
It also noted that 29 percent of individuals interviewed felt the Helsinki summit had improved bilateral relations with the US, while only four percent felt the meeting had worsened relations.
The Levada Centre has produced polling data in Russia in some form since 1987, and is a respected independent surveyor of public opinion in the country.
The agency interviewed 1,600 people at their residences between July 19 and July 25 as part of the poll.