The general attitude of the Russians towards NATO is bad, because the military alliance is considered to be against Russia, says the director of the research center Levada.
Moscow
Kremlin the position has become clear: it wants NATO’s military alliance not to include former Soviet republics such as Ukraine or Georgia. Russia considers NATO and its expansion to its eastern borders to be its greatest security threat.
But what do citizens think of NATO? Is NATO’s enlargement to the east scary?
The issue is topical as Russia and the Western powers break the negotiating marathon this week. “Diplomacy Super Week” continues on Wednesday when Russian and NATO representatives meet in Brussels.
The talks are intended to address Russia’s demand for an end to NATO’s eastward expansion and to seek to ease tensions over Ukraine. Russia has concentrated its forces and armaments on Ukraine’s borders to a large extent, which has raised concerns about a new attack by Russia.
In Moscow Many of the townspeople who walked out of Gorky Park on Monday refused to comment on the whole thing. The majority of those who shared their views supported the demands of their decision-makers for security guarantees.
“Very right requirement!” said an engineer from Kazakhstan Alexei Fonakov. “In their position, I would demand not only an end to enlargement but also a retreat, at least to the borders of western Germany, where it all began. I don’t even like to place combat weapons in Poland. “
According to Fonakov, NATO is anti-Russian and has not changed its policy, even though it was counterbalanced by the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact in the 1950s after the fall of communism.
“After several years and certain events, the Warsaw Pact no longer exists, but NATO is and is expanding. It is approaching our borders. Someone may think it’s not threatening us because nothing flies from there but can very well fly. That’s what it’s about. ”
Ljubov Fonakova (left), a teacher from Kazakhstan, called himself apolitical and did not want to comment on NATO. Spouse, engineer Alexei Fonakov supports Russia’s demands for security guarantees.
Of the Russians attitudes towards NATO and the West have deteriorated, appears at the end of December release research. In a survey conducted by the independent research institute Levada, nearly 60 percent of respondents thought that relations with Western states and NATO deteriorated last year.
Director of a research institute Denis Volkovin according to half of the Russians consider NATO a threat to their country. The other half keeps the threat low or doesn’t see it at all.
“However, the attitude of the Russians is negative, because NATO is considered to be an armed force against Russia. There were still people in the early 2000s who relied on Russia-NATO cooperation, but today they no longer exist. ”
“The general opinion is that we are either against NATO or have nothing to do with it.”
According to Volkov, there is a perception among Russians that all conflicts in the territory of the former Soviet Union, such as Ukraine, Belarus or Georgia, are organized by NATO, the United States or Western states.
The Russians think the West is trying to resist Russia in the former Soviet republics, Volkov explains.
According to firefighter Maxim Glazov, Russia is militarily stronger than NATO, so there is no threat from NATO.
Fireman Maksim Glazov share a view. According to Glazov, NATO would only provoke other countries, including Russia, to military action by expanding to the east. He still does not see NATO as a threat.
“Russia has more weapons, Russia is stronger than NATO. It doesn’t make sense [hyökätä]. ”
Restaurant Manager Jekaterina Bibik is not worried about modern NATO, and considers the threat exaggerated, but the expansion of the military alliance to Finland, for example, would already be a different matter.
“Then it would be worth thinking and being scared, because the border is very close to us, as is Ukraine.”
Bibik relies heavily on his country’s defense capabilities: “There are no serious threats with a navy and army like Russia.”
Restaurant manager Ekaterina Bibik is confident in Russia’s defense capabilities.
Levadan leader Volkov says that the first enemy in the minds of Russians is the United States and especially its foreign policy.
Levada’s polls have shown that most Russians believe the United States decides everything in NATO and even in the European Union.
“There’s a perception that they’re the first to play the first violin everywhere. The United States is seen as a world hero that does not negotiate with other countries and does what it wants. ”
The view was formed a long time ago and has not changed, according to the director of the research institute.
Tatiana Grigorjan, a florist from Novosibirsk who visited her daughter in Moscow, believes that the affairs of other countries should not be interfered with and that each state should decide whether to join NATO.
Outdoors there were also Russians who are on different lines with the state leadership. A florist from Novosibirsk Tatjana Grigorjanin considers that sovereign states must be able to decide for themselves whether they belong to various alliances, such as NATO.
“Ukrainians are allowed to build in their country what they want and are able to do. I do not think we should interfere in the affairs of a foreign country. What do you think Vladimir Vladimirovich [Putin] with his entourage is a whole other matter. These are two different realities. ”
Grigory generally considers NATO a relic of the past that is no longer needed by for-profit politicians.
A student from St. Petersburg Grigori agrees. For him, conflicts are posed by politicians, as is the threat posed by NATO.
“If everything were calmer, then maybe different decisions would have been made from above and we would join some union.”
Grigori, a student from St. Petersburg, did not want to say his last name, but longed for quieter times. “May there be peace in the whole world,” he said.
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