Belarus and Kazakhstan have strengthened their positions as successful countries of the post-Soviet space; thee countries are also regarded as Russia`s closest partners, and their presidents are the most trustworthy, according to Russians.
MOSCOW, December 12, 2014. In anticipation of the launch of the new economic union - Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU)* - the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the information concerning the attitudes of Russians towards the post-Soviet countries: what countries of the post-Soviet space respondents regard as Russia`s partners; which countries guarantee the rights of the Russian-speaking population; which leaders Russians trust more.
Belarus and Kazakhstan are regarded as the most successful countries of the post-Soviet space (66% and 45%, respectively); remarkably, over a year Russians have strengthened their positions on that (from 50% and 35%, respectively). Ukraine dropped out of the Top three successful countries: whereas in 2013 the share of Russians who regarded this country as successful was 21%, now this share makes up only 2%. Every tenth cited Azerbaijan (10%) and Armenia (9%) followed by Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, Moldavia (5% for each group), Turkmenistan (4%), Uzbekistan (3%), and Tajikistan (2%).
Two-thirds of Russians consider that Russia has favorable relations with Belarus (65%); half of Russians mention Kazakhstan 46%). This is followed by Armenia (7%), Azerbaijan (6%), Moldavia (5%), Kyrgyzstan (5%), Uzbekistan (3%), Turkmenistan (3%), and Tajikistan (2%). Ukraine also lost its positions: only 3% of Russians believe that the relations between Russia and Ukraine are strong (18% in 2013).
Presidents of Belarus and Kazakhstan are also the most trusted leaders: Aleksandr Lukashenko (61%), Nursultan Nazarbaev (38%). Russians trust less Ilham ALiyev (6%), Serj Sargsyan (4%), Almazbek Atambaev , Nicolae Timofti, Islam Karimov (3%; for each).
According to respondents, Belarus and Kazakhstan are the countries that guarantee the rights of the Russian-speaking population better than any other country of the post-Soviet space (63% and 31% respectively). The shares of respondents who cited Armenia (5%), Kyrgyzstan (4%), Azerbaijan (4%), and Moldavia (4%) are much smaller.
*EAEU was launched on January 1, 2015; it includes three countries of the Common Economic Space (Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus) and Armenia; the parliament of Armenia ratified the agreement of the accession to the EAEU on December 4th. Kyrgyzstan is planning to join the union in 2015. Tajikistan may also join the union.
The VCIOM opinion poll was conducted on November 22-23, 2014. 1600 respondents were interviewed in 132 communities in 46 regions of Russia. The margin of error does not exceed 3,5%.
Which CIS countries do you consider the most successful today? | |||||
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 |
Belarus | 31 | 35 | 45 | 50 | 66 |
Kazakhstan | 34 | 42 | 33 | 35 | 45 |
Azerbaijan | 6 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 10 |
Armenia | 9 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 9 |
Kyrgyzstan | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 |
Georgia | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
Moldavia | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Turkmenistan | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
Uzbekistan | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
Ukraine | 19 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 2 |
Tajikistan | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Don`t know | 33 | 29 | 29 | 22 | 16 |
Which CIS countries do you regard as the most reliable Russia`s partner? (close-ended question, not more than three answers) | |||||
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 |
Belarus | 23 | 36 | 46 | 51 | 65 |
Kazakhstan | 37 | 42 | 38 | 37 | 46 |
Armenia | 6 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 7 |
Azerbaijan | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 5 | |
Moldavia | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
Ukraine | 21 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 3 |
Uzbekistan | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
Turkmenistan | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
Tajikistan | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
Georgia | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
Don`t know | 34 | 29 | 28 | 21 | 17 |
Which leader among the leaders of the CIS countries do you trust most? | |||||
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 |
Lukashenko Aleksandr (Belarussian president) | 16 | 28 | 34 | 41 | 61 |
Nazarbaev Nursultan (Kazakhstan`s president) | 32 | 37 | 31 | 33 | 38 |
Aliyev Ilham (Azerbaijan`s president) | 5 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 6 |
Sargsyan Serj (Armenia`s president) | 4 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
Atambaev Almazbek (Kyrgyzstan`s president)* | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
Timofti Nicolae (Moldavia`s president)** | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Karimov Islam (Uzbekistan`s president) | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
Poroshenko Petr (Ukraine`s president) *** | 17 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 1 |
Margvelashvili Giorgi (Georgia`s president)**** | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
Berdymuhamedow Gurbanguly (Turkmesnistan`s president) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Rahmon Emomali (Tajikistan`s president) | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Don`t know | 43 | 36 | 38 | 32 | 23 |
* In 2010-2011 the question was referred to Roza Otunbayeva
** In 2010 the question was referred to Mihai Ghimpu; in 2011 - to Mariana Lupu
*** Until 2013 (inclusively) the question was referred to Viktor Yanukovich
**** Until 2013 (inclusively) the question was referred to Mikheil Saakashvili
In your opinion, in which of the following countries the rights of the Russian-speaking population are most guaranteed? (close-ended question, not more than three answers) | |||||
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 |
Belarus | 27 | 45 | 46 | 52 | 63 |
Kazakhstan | 21 | 25 | 24 | 18 | 31 |
Armenia | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 |
Kyrgyzstan | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
Azerbaijan | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
Moldavia | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
Ukraine | 17 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 2 |
Uzbekistan | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
Georgia | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Turkmenistan | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Tajikistan | 1 | 1 | 1 | <1 | 1 |
Don`t know | 45 | 35 | 36 | 31 | 24 |
Note: Using materials from the site www.wciom.ru or wciom.com, as well as distributed by VCIOM, the reference to the source (or hyperlink for the electronic media) is obligatory