Russia unfavorability among Americans highest in 20 years

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By Jacqueline Klimas

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The Washington Times

Thursday, February 13, 2014

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  ** FILE ** In this Friday, Jan. 17, 2014, file photo Russian ...more >

STORY TOPICS

• Politics
• Social Issues
• Russia
• The Olympics
• Vladimir Putin

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Americans have more negative views of Russia now than anytime in the past two decades, a Gallup poll released Thursday found.

Only 34 percent of poll respondents have a favorable view of the Olympics host country, while 60 percent have an unfavorable view. Only 44 percent had an unfavorable view in 2012, suggesting recent events like security concerns at the Olympics, offering asylum to Edward Snowden, getting involved in the Syrian conflict and the restrictive gay and lesbian civil rights in the country have affected public opinion in the U.S.

Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, is also unpopular among Americans. Americans with an unfavorable opinion of him have steadily increased since 2002 from 18 percent to 63 percent in 2014.

The poll results are based on telephone interviews with more than 1,000 adults across the country. The margin of error is 4 percent.