The number of those who consider Russia an enemy has sharply increased in the USA

Almost 40% of US residents see Russia as an enemy, and during the years of the presidency of Donald Trump, who declared his desire to improve relations with Moscow, this figure has only grown. According to Russian experts, American politicians benefit from this image of the Russian Federation, and the current head of the White House adhered to this approach, writes BBC.

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During the presidency of Donald Trump, more Americans began to perceive Russia not just as an unfriendly state, but even as an enemy of the United States, according to a study by the Economist / YouGov. Sociologists have come to the conclusion that opinion about Moscow is slowly changing for the worse, although the current head of the White House tried to mend relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Thus, the share of Americans who consider Russia an enemy of the United States increased by 11% compared to April 2017 and amounted to 38%. Moreover, among the supporters of the Republican Party, from which Trump was elected to the presidency, already 40% call Moscow "the enemy", which is 16% more than the result of three years ago.

Among the supporters of the newly elected US head Joe Biden, 43% of respondents believe that during his presidency, relations with Russia will only get worse. The opposite point of view is shared by only 25% of the respondents.

Anti-Russian trend

The reason for this perception of the Russian Federation is in the general stereotypes prevailing in the United States, and they have not gone anywhere, since they are quite tenacious, says Yuri Rogulev, director of the Franklin Roosevelt US Research Foundation at Moscow State University.

“In the United States, it is not difficult to manipulate public opinion by increasing the number of people who consider Russia a hostile state. Moreover, the whole situation and information background created by the media is very negative for Moscow. This is partly beneficial for American politicians, because it is rather difficult to do business without the image of an enemy, ”the expert adds.

In his opinion, without an obvious and open enemy, they begin to invent him - which is exactly what is happening in relation to Russia. For the United States, the Russian Federation looks like a badass country that does not recognize American domination and domination, and also does not want to obey their rules.

“The top of the United States does not consider Russia an equal partner and does not consider equal relations with it as a prospect. Until they recognize that Russia plays a serious role in international affairs, it is difficult to expect any improvement in relations between the two countries, ”Rogulev said.

At the same time, from the expert's point of view, the United States always has one position in relation to Russia, regardless of who is in power at the moment. So, Trump promised to enter into dialogue, but still followed the basic principle - it must be conducted from a position of strength.

“This was clearly seen in the example of negotiations on the extension of the treaty on further reduction and limitation of strategic offensive arms (START-3). Either the White House agreed to formally extend the agreement, or unilaterally put forward demands that are unacceptable for Russia, ”explains Rogulev.

Ivan Timofeev, Program Director of the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), is sure that any adjustment in the US attitude towards Russia is unlikely to be needed by anyone at the present time - "Moscow is not going to do it."

“The American administration does not make any special attempts to turn the population against Russia. Public opinion in this case is simply an indicator of what the relationship between Washington and Moscow is, ”the expert emphasizes in an interview with Gazeta.Ru.

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Cyberattack factor

In their study, the economist / YouGov sociologists link the deteriorating attitude of the Republicans to Moscow to the events of the last months of Trump's presidency. According to the study, prior to November, only 28% of GOP supporters called Russia an “enemy” of the United States. That is, in just a month, this figure increased by 12%.

This leap is due to a massive cyber attack on US government agencies, as well as critical infrastructure and private sector organizations. The hack was recorded in early December, with most of the liberal US media attributing responsibility for the attack to Moscow, although the Kremlin officially denied the accusations.

In the White House, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and US Attorney General William Barr supported the view of Russia's "responsibility", but Trump took the opposite position. According to the American president, China could be behind the attack.

"Russia, Russia, Russia is a favorite song when anything happens, because liberal media are mostly scared to death for financial reasons to discuss the possibility that it could be China (and it could be it!)," Trump wrote in Twitter.

As noted in the Economist / YouGov study, more than two-thirds of those surveyed have "heard something" about the cyberattack, and Democrats know much more about it than Republicans - 83% versus 63%. In general, 58% of respondents are sure that the responsibility for these actions lies with Moscow.

While Trump calls China guilty, his successor Biden does not rule out the imposition of sanctions against Russia for the attack by hackers. According to Reuters, the advisers are discussing this issue with the Democrat, as well as considering the option of causing damage to Russian computer systems.

Agency sources claim that the democrat's entourage nevertheless considers it necessary to avoid an "escalation of the conflict" with Russia. The final decision will be made after the inauguration of the newly elected president, which will take place on January 20, 2021.

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Biden himself has not yet spoken directly about sanctions against Russia. However, the democrat promised that those responsible for the alleged cyberattack would pay a "tangible price", and in this matter the United States would cooperate with its partners and allies.

“The massive cybersecurity invasion has resulted in thousands of casualties, including US companies and government agencies. There is still a lot we don’t know, but what we know is of serious concern, ”Biden summed up.

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