Most Russians Would Back Kremlin In Case of War With Ukraine, Poll Says

The Moscow Times ^ | April 1, 2014 | Anna Dolgov

[2ndDivisionVet]

Almost a quarter of Russians think war with Ukraine is likely and three out of four Russians would support their government if such a war were to break out, a recent poll showed.

Thirty-six percent of Russians said they would "definitely" back Moscow in case of a war against Ukraine, and another 38 percent said they would "most likely" support it, a survey by the Levada Center pollster said, RBK reported on Sunday.

Only 2 percent of respondents said they would definitely oppose Moscow's actions in case of a war with Ukraine, and another 11 percent said they would probably oppose it. Thirteen percent of respondents were still undecided on the issue.

Russians also appeared to view as fairly high the probability of a war between the two Slavic, predominantly Eastern Orthodox Christian, former Soviet republics.

A total of 23 percent of respondents said war was "quite probable," though 53 percent considered it unlikely, and 13 percent said it could be "absolutely ruled out." The remaining 11 percent were undecided.

Levada Center deputy chief Alexei Grazhdankin described the results as disheartening.

Grazhdankin blamed Russian media coverage on the situation in Ukraine for a drop in the number of Russians who have a positive view of Ukraine, from 63 percent in early March to 52 percent now.

More than three out of four Russians, or 77 percent, blamed the Ukrainian administration to some extent for the deterioration of that country's relations with Russia, while only 3 percent held Moscow responsible for the cooling of relations.

Nearly three in four respondents, or 73 percent, considers as illegitimate or mostly illegitimate the Ukrainian government that came to power after months of political protests that toppled a Moscow-backed administration.

Only 14 percent said that Ukraine's government was at least to some extent legitimate, and another 15 percent was undecided.

More than half of respondents, 58 percent, attributed Western sanctions against Russia over the annexation of Crimea to the West's "hostility toward Russia" and the supposed wish to take advantage of the situation to "pressure" Russia. Another 20 percent attributed the sanctions to the West's lack of understanding about the "real situation" in Ukraine.

A total of 13 percent of respondents said that the sanctions were caused by Russia's annexation of part of a foreign country and by Moscow's violation of international law.

The poll was conducted on March 21-24 among 1,603 people in 45 Russian regions and gave a margin of error of 3.4 percent.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Why, of course, the people don't want war. Why would some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best that he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece? Naturally, the common people don't want war; neither in Russia nor in England nor in America, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy or a fascist dictatorship or a Parliament or a Communist dictatorship. The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country.

~Reichsmarschall Hermann Wilhelm Göring

[Grzegorz 246]

Russians were backing Kremlin even when Kremlin was killing them in millions.

[Mount Athos]

That’s a rather naive thing to say.

How do you gauge support level under crushing totalitarianism, when informants are everywhere, and opposition means instant death or gulag?

Maybe you think all North Koreans must love their government too?

[Grzegorz 246]

So you seriously believe that average Russians were anti-Soviet and I am the naive one ?

[Mount Athos]

If you were right, the communists might have gotten more than 13% in the last Russian election.

Instead they have a 13% flat tax.

[Grzegorz 246]

LOL ! “Communism” was a totalitarian, militaristic regime, not much to do with western style socialism.

[Mount Athos]

I described it as “crushing totalitarianism” in comment #3, so I don’t understand the point you’re making.

[Flintlock]

So—Russians are no damn good. No good at all.

So—What’s new??

[Grzegorz 246]

OK so If you understand what it was then what's the whole story with constant bringing up 13% tax/they don't like homo over there etc. to somehow “prove” that Putin's Russia has nothing to do with Sovietism ?

Soviet Union was nothing like Scandinavian style socialism with welfare, homo/tree hugging/CO2 nonsense. It was actually something totally different, an aggressive, militaristic, totalitarian regime and now Russians are going back to just a slightly softer version of that garbage with militarism, state controlled media/economy, no opposition and one guy, who has been in charge since 15 years (and will likely stay for at least 15 more) and whom majority of them literally worship for... “bringing back the old glory”. They tried freedom, had no clue what to do with it and gave it up voluntarily.

Again someone forced them to do that ? NWO ? Monsanto Nazis ? Sodomite EU ? McCain ?

[1rudeboy]

Instead they have a 13% flat tax.

And despite that, you'd be better off moving to Mexico. Think about it.

[Mount Athos]

“Soviet Union was nothing like Scandinavian style socialism with welfare, homo/tree hugging/CO2 nonsense.”

Again, I described the Soviet union as “crushing totalitarianism”.

I can’t understand why you are talking about scandinavian style socialism, when neither the article nor any previous comment mentioned anything about scandinavia or western style socialism.

It doesn’t make any sense.

If you put me as the name you are addressing your comment to, please make your comment have something to do with what I typed, and not something imaginary you just made up.