A majority (63%) of Russians continue to support a full-scale war against Ukraine, which is seen by another 64% as a symptom of a larger "civilizational struggle between Russia and the West," according to a poll released on January 9 by the nonpartisan National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago, owned by the Kiev Independent.
The figure represents a slight decrease from a November 2023 poll conducted by the Russian independent polling organization Levada Center, in which 75 percent of respondents said they supported the war.
The results of the January 9 poll illustrate the consistent level of support for full-scale war since it began almost two years ago, coupled with the majority of Russians saying international sanctions have not affected their personal lives.
At the same time, 55% of Russians say that economic issues rank first among their main concerns, but 65% of respondents blame rising prices for worsening their personal economic situation. The majority (67%) said their financial situation was the same or better than two years ago.
Some of the widely praised efforts to isolate Russia, such as the greatly reduced ability of Russians to travel abroad, seem to have gone unnoticed by the majority of Russians. 76% said they were not affected by the restrictions on international travel.
With Russia's presidential election approaching, in which President Vladimir Putin is seeking a fifth term, 66% of respondents said they were "more likely" to vote for him. Support is even greater among older generations.
The poll also shows that Russians are very excited about Russia's place in the world. An overwhelming majority (94%) express at least a moderate level of pride in their Russian identity. Another 62% said they felt Russia was treated unfairly in the world.
The "civilizational" framework of conflict with the West also appears in other contexts, with 68% of respondents saying they were concerned that "Western influences, such as LGBT+, will affect traditional Russian values."
Putin also characterises full-scale war in civilisational terms and often uses the perceived 'threat' of LGBT+ to drum up support at home. / BGNES
