These poll numbers were released earlier today by Rasmussen Reports -- "an electronic publishing firm specializing in the collection, publication, and distribution of public opinion polling information."
54% Don't Trust Russians To Honor New Arms Control Agreement
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
A highlight of President Obama's trip to Moscow this week was an agreement between the United States and Russia to reduce their nuclear weapons stockpiles, but just 22% of U.S. voters trust the Russians to honor that agreement.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 54% of voters do not think the Russians will honor the agreement to cut their nuclear weapons arsenal. Twenty-three percent (23%) are not sure what the Russians will do.
Seventy-four percent (74%) of Republicans and 51% of voters not affiliated with either major party don't trust the Russians to honor the agreement. Democrats are more conflicted: 30% believe the Russians will honor the agreement, 40% don't, and 30% are not sure.
Seventy percent (70%) of conservatives do not trust the Russians, while liberals are evenly divided on the question.
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One of the Russians' biggest complaints in the last couple years is the United States' intention to base an anti-missile defense shield in Eastern Europe , and voters clearly have mixed feelings about whether those plans should be dropped to improve relations with America's former Cold War rival.
Eighteen percent (18%) of voters believe the United States should stop plans to deploy the anti-missile shield in Europe, but 44% disagree and think those plans should move ahead. However, an unusually high number of voters (38%) are undecided which suggests they don't know enough about the issue to have an opinion. These numbers are largely unchanged from mid-November when Russia was the first foreign country to raise a challenge to the newly-elected U.S. president .
The majority of Republicans (55%) and a plurality of unaffiliated voters (49%) say the United States should not stop the deployme
A highlight of President Obama's trip to Moscow this week was an agreement between the United States and Russia to reduce their nuclear weapons stockpiles, but just 22% of U.S. voters trust the Russians to honor that agreement.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 54% of voters do not think the Russians will honor the agreement to cut their nuclear weapons arsenal. Twenty-three percent (23%) are not sure what the Russians will do.
Seventy-four percent (74%) of Republicans and 51% of voters not affiliated with either major party don't trust the Russians to honor the agreement. Democrats are more conflicted: 30% believe the Russians will honor the agreement, 40% don't, and 30% are not sure.
Seventy percent (70%) of conservatives do not trust the Russians, while liberals are evenly divided on the question.
One of the Russians' biggest complaints in the last couple years is the United States' intention to base an anti-missile defense shield in Eastern Europe , and voters clearly have mixed feelings about whether those plans should be dropped to improve relations with America's former Cold War rival.
Eighteen percent (18%) of voters believe the United States should stop plans to deploy the anti-missile shield in Europe, but 44% disagree and think those plans should move ahead. However, an unusually high number of voters (38%) are undecided which suggests they don't know enough about the issue to have an opinion. These numbers are largely unchanged from mid-November when Russia was the first foreign country to raise a challenge to the newly-elected U.S. president .
The majority of Republicans (55%) and a plurality of unaffiliated voters (49%) say the United States should not stop the deployment. Democrats are much more closely divided, although nearly half (45%) are undecided.
But the Russians made clear this week that if the United States goes ahead with the anti-missile shield deployment in Europe, it will seriously jeopardize the agreement to limit the size of Russia's nuclear weapons arsenal.
Thirteen percent (13%) of voters say Russia is now America's ally, but 15% view that country as an enemy. For 68%, Russia is somewhere in between an ally and an enemy.
These new findings actually mark an improvement from last August when U.S. relations with Russia soured over its invasion of the neighboring country of Georgia. At that time, just five percent (5%) of voters said Russia was an ally .
While it's been nearly 20 years since the Berlin Wall was breached, signaling the impending collapse of the communist Soviet Union, only 12% of voters think most Russians now enjoy the same freedoms that Americans have. Sixty-four percent (64%) say they do not enjoy those freedoms, and 23% are not sure.
Sixty-six percent (66%) say they have been following news stories about Obama's trip to Russia this week at least somewhat closely, including 28% who say they have been following very closely. Nine percent (9%) say they have not been following news reports about the Russia trip at all.
Only three percent (3%) of voters view Russia as the bigger threat to U.S. national security among a list of six foreign countries. North 
nt. Democrats are much more closely divided, although nearly half (45%) are undecided.
But the Russians made clear this week that if the United States goes ahead with the anti-missile shield deployment in Europe, it will seriously jeopardize the agreement to limit the size of Russia's nuclear weapons arsenal.
Thirteen percent (13%) of voters say Russia is now America's ally, but 15% view that country as an enemy. For 68%, Russia is somewhere in between an ally and an enemy.
These new findings actually mark an improvement from last August when U.S. relations with Russia soured over its invasion of the neighboring country of Georgia. At that time, just five percent (5%) of voters said Russia was an ally .
While it's been nearly 20 years since the Berlin Wall was breached, signaling the impending collapse of the communist Soviet Union, only 12% of voters think most Russians now enjoy the same freedoms that Americans have. Sixty-four percent (64%) say they do not enjoy those freedoms, and 23% are not sure.
Sixty-six percent (66%) say they have been following news stories about Obama's trip to Russia this week at least somewhat closely, including 28% who say they have been following very closely. Nine percent (9%) say they have not been following news reports about the Russia trip at all.
Only three percent (3%) of voters view Russia as the bigger threat to U.S. national security among a list of six foreign countries. North
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To view the original report, please use this link: To Russia With Love