(Source: http://finam.info/blog)

The attitude towards Russia and the United States around the world has significantly deteriorated during the last year, as it was shown by the poll conducted by GlobeScan sociological company commissioned by BBC World Service. The study was conducted in 24 countries on all continents before the political crisis in Ukraine and annexation of the Crimea to Russia – from December 2013 to April 2014.

More than 24.5 thousand people took part in the poll. The participants were asked to assess the international influence of 16 states and the European Union, offering the choice between two options “mainly positive (attitude)” or “mostly negative”. Russia was on the last but four line in the rating.

The negative attitude towards the Russian Federation was expressed by 45% of respondents and positive one - by 31% (41% and 30% respectively in 2013). The study notes that this is the worst figure for the past nine years. Moreover, the worsening attitude towards Russia is the general trend - it has been registered in 13 countries on all continents, the current figure was a record for all nine years of studies. The attitude to Russia deteriorated worst of all in Europe and North America. Thus, the negative attitude towards the Russian Federation is experienced by 69% of respondents in France, 67% in Germany, 64% in the UK and the U.S., 62% in Canada.

The countries which are most well disposed towards the Russian Federation include Asian countries - BRICS partners: 55% of Chinese and 38% of Indians estimated the international influence of Russia positively.

“Although the poll was conducted mainly prior to the events in the Crimea and coincided with the Games in Sochi, the release of Khodorkovsky and Pussy Riot participants, at the same time Putin demanded Ukraine to stop moving in the direction of the EU and the riots on the streets of Kiev took place” - the director of the study program Steven Kull said.

Over the past three years the world negative attitude toward the United States is also growing. 42% of respondents believe the influence of Washington is positive (-3 points), 39% consider it to be negative (4 points). The present study has shown that the most intense hostility towards the United States was observed in Pakistan, where a negative attitude was admitted by 61% of respondents, in China (59%), Germany (57%) and Russia (52%).

The aversion towards the United States has significantly grown in Spain, Germany and France (19, 10 and 7 points respectively), positive responses in these countries decreased by 15, 11 and 5 points respectively. The image of the United States has been hit hard by the information on global surveillance of the U.S. intelligence revealed by the former employee of the National Security Agency Edward Snowden. Germany retained the position of the state receiving mostly positive attitude. 60% of respondents worldwide gave a positive assessment of the FRG. It is followed by Canada (57%) and the UK (56%), just like in the last year. The United Kingdom became a leader among the countries that improved the attitude towards themselves.

The positive attitude towards the UK has increased by six points - from 52% to 58% - since 2005. The negative reviews have decreased from 29% to 21%. The perception of China's international influence deteriorated within the last decade. Japan also continues to move downwards. The downward trend of good attitude towards the EU has resumed this year. The opinion that the EU has a positive international influence was expressed by 47% of respondents (-2 points compared to the previous study), 27% (2 points) claim the opposite.