A new poll commissioned by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) reveals that fewer than half of Americans now view Russia as an adversary.
Following Donald Trump’s 2024 US presidential election win, American sentiment toward Russia has reportedly shifted in a more favorable direction, according to a survey conducted between November and December 2024 for the ECFR, a think tank with funding from sources including the Open Society Foundations. The survey, part of a larger global polling series across 24 countries, examined opinions on Russia.
In the US, the survey showed that 11% of respondents considered Russia an ally, 20% a necessary partner, 17% a rival, and 38% an adversary. This contrasts with a previous survey (December 2022 – January 2023), where 0% of Americans called Russia an ally, and 55% identified it as an adversary.
American views on the EU remained largely consistent between the two surveys. However, among the nine EU member states polled, the proportion viewing the US as an ally decreased from 31% to 22%.
The research also highlighted a growing positive trend in mutual perceptions between Russia and China, with increased numbers in both countries seeing each other as allies.
Regarding the Ukraine conflict, over one-third of Ukrainian respondents (34%) expressed optimism about a Ukrainian victory – the highest percentage among all surveyed nations. This optimism was far less prevalent elsewhere, with only 13% of Americans sharing this view and a 0% response rate in Russia.
The ECFR noted significant “mourning” and “anxiety” within the EU over Trump’s victory, contrasting with hope in other regions that his presidency might lead to decreased violence in the Middle East and Ukraine.
“Europeans will struggle to find internal unity or global power in leading an outright resistance to the new administration”, the ECFR cautioned.
The ECFR’s funding comes from various sources, including Western governments and major NGOs such as the Open Society Foundations and the network of Pierre Omidyar.