Moscow - Sixty percent of Russians have heard about the association agreements Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia had signed with the European Union, and 18 percent had a profound knowledge of that event, the Russian Public Opinion Study Center (VTsIOM) said.
Over a third of the respondents (38 percent) learned the news from the sociologists in the nationwide poll held on Aug. 16-17.
Some 61 percent could not say which consequences the accords might have for Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia.
Twelve percent expect generally negative results, 6 percent believe the economic situation in these countries will worsen and 5 percent think they will now be dependent on the European Union and the United States. Only 2 percent claimed some positive results.
In the opinion of 65 percent of the respondents, Russia’s relations with Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia will worsen over their association deals with the European Union. Three percent are expecting a turn for the better, and 21 percent do not expect any change.
Three quarters of the respondents (78 percent) approved of the government’s ban on imports of Moldovan apples, Ukrainian vegetables, milk and some other foods, and 12 percent did not support those measures.
Sixty-seven percent said the measures had been sufficient, 13 percent argued the opposite, 9 percent called the measures taken by the Russian authorities excessive and 11 percent were undecided.
