59% Of Americans Don't Like Russia; 56% Say It's A 'Critical Threat' To US

More than a year after Russia invaded Ukraine, the number of Americans who view Russia unfavorably has increased.

Gallup's 2023 World Affairs poll found that 59% of Americans now hold a "very unfavorable" view of Russia, up from last year's 42%. In 2021, 36% viewed Russia very unfavorably, and the figure was 32% before 2020.

According to the 2023 poll, 90% of Americans have an unfavorable opinion of Russia.

Russia's favorable ratings sank to just 9% this year from 15% in 2022, making it the fourth country with a single-digit favorability rating in Gallup's polling history following North Korea, Iran and Iraq.

According to Gallup, Russia's favorability numbers among all major party groups have seen massive decreases since 2021.

This year, Republicans and Democrats each gave the country a 6% favorable rating. Only 11% of independents said they have favorable views of Russia.

When asked if the Russia-Ukraine war poses a threat to U.S. vital interests, 56% of respondents considered it a "critical threat" to the country, up slightly from 52% a year ago. Around 36% said it is "important but not critical."

However, the number of Americans who view the military power of Russia as a "critical threat" to U.S. security dropped to 51% this year from 59% a year ago. The report suggested that the decline was likely caused by Russia's failure in its goal of overwhelming Ukraine.

"The decline may be related to the prolonged battle with Ukraine. Many military experts thought the Russian military would overwhelm Ukraine, but it has made gains only in limited parts of the country," Gallup said. "Those gains have come at a heavy cost in Russian military personnel and equipment."

The favorability polls came at a time when tensions between the U.S. and Russia were further fueled by a drone incident in the Black Sea.

On Tuesday, the U.S. military accused two Russian jets of colliding with its MQ-9 spy drone during a reconnaissance mission over the Black Sea's international waters Tuesday.

The military said that two Russian Su-27 fighter planes carried out a reckless intercept and dumped fuel on the drone before one clipped the drone's propeller, causing it to crash into the sea.

However, the Russian Defense Ministry denied the U.S. military's accusations, saying that the drone crashed after "sharp maneuvering."

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby dampened hopes that the U.S.-made drone could still be recovered.

"I'm not sure that we're going to be able to recover it. Where it fell into the Black Sea [is] very, very deep water. So we're still assessing whether there can be any kind of recovery effort. There may not be," Kirby said.

Kirby added that the State Department had summoned the Russian ambassador to the U.S. regarding the incident to convey the government's condemnation.