Putin’s approval rating soars to 87% in Russia

MOSCOW, Russia – Russian President Vladimir Putin’s domestic approval rating has soared to 87%, pollsters said on Thursday, August 7, the highest level in six years as Russia is locked in a standoff with the West over Ukraine.

Nearly 9 in 10 Russians polled by the independent Levada research center said they approved of Putin’s policies when the study was conducted at the beginning of August.

The figure is just 1% lower than the Kremlin strongman’s historic popularity peak in August 2008 when Moscow fought a brief war with Georgia.

In the August poll, 66% of Russians said they think that the country is “moving in the right direction”, against 19% who said Russia is on the wrong path.

Putin’s rating shot up from 65% at the start of 2014 after Russia annexed Crimea in March and his popularity remains strong as Moscow continues its showdown with the West over the crisis in eastern Ukraine.

But his positive image at home contrasts sharply with how the Russian leader is viewed around the world.

A poll by Pew Research last month showed that Europeans and Americans view Russia more negatively than they did last year, with the percentage of Americans holding an unfavorable view of Moscow up 29%. – Rappler.com