Number of Ukrainians With Positive View Toward Russia Grows by 5% in 3 Months

KIEV (Sputnik) — The report based on the results of the survey stated that the number of Ukrainian citizens who in general had the positive attitude toward Russia had increased from 39 percent to 44 percent in May, compared to the previous survey in February. The report stressed, citing the results of Russia's non-profit Levada Center's poll, that the situation in Russia was absolutely opposite with the number of Russian citizens, who had positive attitude toward Ukraine, decreasing by 8 percent since January and amounting to 26 percent.

According to the report, the number of Ukrainians who share negative attitude toward Russia decreased by 9 percent in May, compared to February, and amounted to 37 percent. Besides, 43 percent of respondents claimed that the borders between the two countries should be closed, while 47 percent of respondents supported the idea in February.

The survey was carried out on May 20-29 in different parts of Ukraine, except for areas in the eastern Ukraine, which are not controlled by the government. The survey involved 2,040 adult respondents.

The relations between Moscow and Kiev have significantly deteriorated in the wake of the Ukrainian crisis and Crimea's reunification with Russia in 2014. In April 2014, Kiev launched a military operation against in the eastern region of Ukraine after the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and the Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR) refused to recognize the new government that had come to power in what they perceived to be a coup.

Kiev, the United States and the European Union has repeatedly accused Moscow of interfering in the affairs of Ukraine. Russia denied the allegations and called such accusations unacceptable, emphasizing that it has not been a party in the Donbas conflict.