Third of Russians expect improvement in bilateral relations if Trump becomes U.S. president - poll
MOSCOW. Aug 1 (Interfax) - The current presidential election campaign in the United States is of interest to 41% of Russians; 58% are not following it, according to VTsIOM.
More than a half of respondents (59%) stress the importance of this election's results for Russia. The opposite view is held by 35% participants in a poll conducted among 1,600 people in 130 cities and towns across 46 Russian regions on July 9-10.
Forty percent of Russians have heard about Republican candidate Donald Trump. He is primarily known as a billionaire (21%). And only 6% said he is running for U.S. presidency.
At the same time, Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton is familiar to 59% of respondents but mostly as a former U.S. First Lady (26%), and only 19% said she is a candidate in the upcoming election.
Thirty-four per cent said they are expecting an improvement or at least a status quo in the bilateral relations if Trump wins the election, whereas 53% said H. Clinton's presidency is likely to lead to an aggravation between Moscow and Washington. Twenty-nine per cent said nothing will change in the U.S.-Russia relations if Clinton gets elected.