The economy is a bear and he just faced the biggest national protest of his reign, but Russian President Vladimir Putin looks like he will cruise to reelection a year from now, according to a survey of Russian voters.
Putin, generally described in the U.S. press as a tyrant and killer, enjoys 81 percent approval, among the highest ratings he’s had in a decade, according to Gallup.
What’s more, in face-to-face interviews with 2,000 Russians, even those who believe the economy is poor and that Moscow is a cesspool of corruption give Putin high marks.
Gallup reasoned that Russians are giving Putin a pass due to his efforts to add Crimea to Russia and they blame the resulting economic hardships on countries like the United States that reacted by imposing sanctions.
“With Russia’s presidential election less than a year away, based on Putin’s approval ratings, his odds of winning remain good — should he decide to run again,” said the Gallup analysis. The election is likely to occur between mid-March and early April.
Gallup concluded, “Even as they saw their economy slipping farther behind the rest of the world in 2016, Russians have continued to rally around Putin and his efforts to restore his country’s status as a great power. This may be because many Russians overwhelmingly supported Crimea joining Russia — which ultimately led to the economic sanctions against their country — and are more likely to blame those who impose the sanctions rather than their president.”
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected]
