Russians Shift Views: U.S. No Longer Top Adversary for the First Time in 13 Years, Survey Reveals

According to a survey conducted by the Levada Center, most Russians no longer view the United States as their primary adversary. This change coincides with Donald Trump’s anticipated return to the presidency and the associated hopes for an improved diplomatic relationship between Moscow and Washington.

The percentage of participants identifying the U.S. as the most antagonistic nation toward Russia has significantly decreased from 76% in 2024 to around 40% this year.

For the first time in 13 years, the U.S. has fallen from first place to fourth in the rankings of perceived enemies.

Currently, Germany (55%), the United Kingdom (49%), and Ukraine (43%) are regarded as the top three most unfriendly countries by Russian respondents.

This shift in perception aligns with Trump’s inauguration in January, during which he pledged to quickly resolve the conflict in Ukraine. Notably, by March, Russian sentiment towards the U.S. had doubled, according to Levada.

Recently, Russian state media has depicted Trump as a pragmatic figure willing to engage in dialogue with Moscow. Traditionally, Russian views on the U.S. have varied in response to global developments.

In 2008, following the Russo-Georgian war, favorable opinions of the U.S. among Russians dropped sharply after the Bush administration criticized Moscow’s actions and provided humanitarian assistance to Georgia. Nevertheless, positive sentiment later improved, reaching a peak of 63% three years later as reported by Levada.

A similar downturn occurred after the 2014 annexation of Crimea and Russia’s support for separatists in eastern Ukraine, which led to U.S. sanctions against Russia.

In terms of the latest Levada Center survey, Belarus (80%), China (64%), Kazakhstan (36%), India (32%), and North Korea (30%) were identified as Russia’s «closest friends and allies.»

While these rankings are consistent with the previous year, the proportion of respondents naming North Korea as a key ally nearly doubled after Russian state media cited North Korean forces as assisting in the “liberation” of the Kursk region from Ukrainian control.

Conversely, the percentage of respondents identifying Iran as a top ally decreased to 11%, from 22% in 2024.

Levada conducted the in-person survey from May 22 to May 28 with a sample of 1,613 Russian adults.

An earlier version of this article noted that for the first time in 20 years, the U.S. had dropped from the top of the list of Russia’s enemies. In fact, this marks the first time since 2012, or 13 years ago, that the U.S. has not held the number one position. We have revised this article to correct that information.