This Article is From Aug 17, 2017

World Trusts Putin More Than Trump In Foreign Affairs, Pew Says

Of 36 countries canvassed, 22, including Germany, France and Japan, trust Putin more, according to the pollster's 2017 spring survey.

World Trusts Putin More Than Trump In Foreign Affairs, Pew Says

The survey was taken before Trump signed a bill deepening sanctions against Russia (AFP Image)

Highlights

  • 22 countries including Germany, France and Japan,trust Putin more: Survey
  • More confidence in Trump in 13 countries,including India and Israel
  • 53 per cent Americans had confidence in Trump. 23 per cent in Putin
People around the world have more confidence in Russian President Vladimir Putin handling world affairs than in his U.S. Counterpart Donald Trump, a Pew Research Center survey showed.

Of 36 countries canvassed, 22, including Germany, France and Japan, trust Putin more, according to the pollster's 2017 spring survey. People had more confidence in Trump in 13 countries, including the U.K., India and Israel. Only Tanzanians saw them as equals. Results from the U.S., which was also part of the survey, weren't included in this question, and China wasn't polled. Pew conducted its research from Feb. 16 to May 8.

Pew said that 23 percent of the American public had confidence in Putin, while 53 percent share the same feeling for Trump. Globally, a median 60 percent of people in 37 countries, including the U.S., said they lack confidence in the Russian leader's actions in world affairs, versus 26 percent who said he's doing a good job. About a third of the nations surveyed see Russia as a major threat to their country, similar to the level of concern caused by China and U.S.

The survey was taken before Trump signed a bill deepening sanctions against Russia over Ukraine and the Kremlin retaliated by ordering the U.S. to slash staff at its diplomatic missions. Tensions have also risen as Congress and the FBI move forward on probes into potential ties between Trump's team and Russia during the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Trump has called the investigation a "witch hunt."

Most Russians believe that Putin has improved their country's standing in the world, according to the survey by the Washington-based non-partisan group. Meanwhile, American and Russian views of each other have become less harsh. The number of Russians who see the U.S. favorably rose to 41 percent, from 15 percent in 2015. The positive feeling also rose among respondents in the U.S., to 29 percent from 22 percent, Pew said.
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