You're reading: More Russians approve of Crimea’s incorporation by Russia – poll

Moscow - Over a half of Russians (73 percent) support the incorporation of Crimea by Russia. Their number stood at 64 percent in March, Levada Center told Interfax on Tuesday, Sept. 2.

Fifteen percent believe Crimea should be an independent state (11 percent in March) and 4 percent argue it should be a part of Ukraine (14 percent in March). The sociologists polled 1,600 respondents in 134 populated localities on Aug. 22-25.

Forty percent approved of Crimea’s incorporation by Russia, 37 percent said it made them proud of their home country, 30 percent dubbed the event as a triumph of justice and 16 percent were glad.

Eight percent had negative sentiments (disapproval, concern or protest) and 9 percent admitted they felt neutral.

Some 58 percent of the respondents explained the Western reaction to the events in Crimea and eastern Ukraine with “a hostile attitude towards Russia and a wish to take advantage of the situation for pressuring Russia.”

Eighteen percent said the West “did not understand the real situation in Ukraine”, 13 percent said it “condemned Russia’s annexation of somebody else’s territory and violation of international legal norms” and 10 percent were undecided.