According to data released on March 12 by ROMIR - Russia's largest independent research group and the sole representative of the International Gallup Association in this country, the percentage of Russians considering the US as a "confrontant" has decreased sharply by nearly half. This number has decreased from 65% in 2023 to only 35% in 2025.
At the same time, the percentage of people perceiving the US as an "important partner" has skyrocketed from 10% to 25%. The group that considers Washington a "healthy competitor" also recorded a change, standing at 25% in the latest survey.
Russian Doctor of Social Sciences Andrey Milekhin from the ROMIR Institute said that public opinion is gradually adapting and having a more multi-dimensional view of international relations. Instead of just looking at it as "enemy or friend", people are starting to differentiate relationships based on practical interests and expectations for global stability in the future.
Contrary to the positive turn for the US, the Russian public's view of the European Union (EU) has remained almost unchanged. About 50% of respondents remained steadfast in considering the bloc as a "concurrent rival" throughout 2023 to 2025. The rate of considering the EU as an "important partner" remained stable at a low of 10%, while the group considering it a "healthy competitor" decreased slightly from 23% to 20%.
Notably, the number of Russians who believe that the US and EU are "allies" of their country remains extremely low, only about 2% for 3 consecutive years. Mr. Milekhin said that these indicators demonstrate the public's adaptation to a volatile geopolitical environment, where the boundary between opponents and partners becomes increasingly fragile and dependent on specific interests.
It should be noted that ROMIR's research was conducted at the end of 2025, so it does not reflect public opinion after the major upheavals in the Middle East and South America in early 2026.
The survey is based on a representative sample of 1,000 adults, providing a realistic perspective on how Russians position their country in a transforming world order.
