About half of Russians see Brexit as important intl event - poll
MOSCOW. July 9 (Interfax) - Nearly three quarters of Russians - 73% - are aware to this or that extent of the recent referendum in the United Kingdom in which its participants voted for their country's withdrawal from the European Union, and about 25% of the respondents heard about that for the first time from Public Opinion Foundation sociologists conducting a poll.
As many as 47% of Russians followed the referendum and events surrounding it, including 20% of them "closely and with interest." Another 25% did not care about the referendum, as is seen from the poll of 1,500 respondents the Public Opinion Foundation conducted in 104 populated areas in 53 regions of Russia on July 2-3.
In the view of 47% of Russians, the United Kingdom's exit from the EU is an important event for the world; 13% believe this "could be the beginning of the European Union's breakup" and 5% that "this would entail changes in the political situation and relations between countries."
As many as 20% of the respondents see the UK's withdrawal from the EU as an event not playing a significant role for the world, and 33% were undecided.
Asked whether they believe the outcome of the referendum in the UK somehow affects Russia's interests, 44% were undecided, 28% said this meets Russia's interests, 5% that this goes against Russia's interests, and 23% that it does not affect Russia's interests in any way.
The poll showed that 38% of Russians believe the UK is likely to eventually benefit from breaking away from the EU, while 16% hold the opposite view, and 45% are undecided. Reversely, 47% of Russians believe the UK's withdrawal is likely to harm the EU, 9% are sure the EU would benefit from this, and 44% are undecided.
Asked how the UK's withdrawal from the EU might affect relations with Russia, 30% believe they will improve, 5% that they will worsen, 26% that this would not have any effect, and 39% were undecided.
In the referendum held on June 23, 2016, 51.9% of the voters cast their ballots in favor of the UK's withdrawal from the EU and 48.1% were against it.