What Russians Think of the U.S.

Lilia Shevtsova writes at the American Interest about the general views of the U.S. held by different classes of Russians. The basic gist is that Obama's "reset" of relations was of no value, and that Russians tend to view the U.S. as "the enemy," i.e., a convenient political "bogey-man." For instance, she states the following about Russian society in general:

Much like the political class, it looks at America through a deformed lens. The vast majority of the public is an object of constant manipulation by the regime and as a result is susceptible to the myth that America is “enemy number one”, or at the very least a country that does not wish Russia any good. In short, society is still captivated by the Soviet mythology and stereotypes that help the Matrix [her term for the "the traditional Russian system predicated on personalized power"] to survive.

In fact, Russian mass consciousness does not usually distinguish between Western countries and cannot appreciate the peculiarities of a given Western democracy. Nevertheless, there is a distinction between Europe and America, thanks more to propaganda than to actual knowledge. Generally, Europe and the European Union are viewed positively: 63 to 78 percent said they view the European Union positively in a recent poll. In contrast, the attitude toward the United States is more critical and constantly fluctuates in reaction to the Kremlin’s political course: respondents saying they viewed America positively have comprised anywhere from 40 percent to 56 percent in recent years. As a matter of fact, the good feelings toward the European Union are often based on a belief that Europe resists American hegemony.

Any positive attitude toward America is abstract, since it is not accompanied by a desire to draw closer and get to know it. According to polling by the Levada Center, rapprochement between the two countries rarely gets the support of more than 13 percent of respondents. Meanwhile, up to 31 percent advocate closer relations with countries that resist U.S. influence. In recent years, about 40 percent of those polled said they considered the United States to be the enemy of Russia, second only to Chechen fighters.

The "average American" is the rarest of creatures, so I don't know how accurately the author has captured the feelings of the "average Russian." That nearly half of Russians have a positive view of the U.S. is encouraging considering the long period of animosity between the Soviet Union and the U.S.

Having read enough of German atrocities against the Soviets in World War II, I'm a little puzzled at the positive view of the European Union, but perhaps it's easier to forgive a nation you defeated in war than a nation that you view as a competitor. Ironically, it is probably because the U.S. and the Soviet Union were relatively isolated from one another that they were able to avoid war. I would also suggest that the control exerted by the Soviet Union and the U.S. over their respective European allies was probably what kept Europe peaceful, and allowed them to form the European Union.