Russian President Vladimir Putin’s efforts to re-establish Russia as a consequential world power appear to have borne at least some fruit, a new Pew Research Center report finds. 

The prevailing view in a 25-country poll by the Center is that Russia plays a more important role in international affairs than it did a decade ago. But increased stature does not mean being better liked. The same survey finds that views of Putin and the Russian Federation are largely negative. 

Globally, a median of just 34% express a favourable view of Russia, while about a quarter (26%) have confidence in Putin to do the right thing in world affairs. In only four countries – the Philippines, Tunisia, South Korea and Greece – do at least half have a positive view of Russia. By contrast, majorities in North America and much of Europe see Russia in a negative light. Attitudes toward Putin follow a similar pattern, with the Philippines and Tunisia the only countries where more than half express confidence in the Russian leader.

These views notwithstanding, many say Russia’s international stature is growing. A median of roughly four-in-ten (42%) believe Russia is playing a more important role in the world today compared with 10 years ago. A smaller share sees Russia holding its ground (28%), while just 19% say Moscow’s influence is waning.

Russia’s increased influence in world affairs is felt more in Europe, North America and the Middle East than in the Asia-Pacific, Latin America or sub-Saharan Africa. Among the countries surveyed, Greeks and Israelis are especially likely to say that Russia’s global stature has grown. 

These are among the findings of a Pew Research Center survey conducted in 25 countries among 26,612 respondents from May 14 to August 12, 2018. One section of the new report uses additional data from a Pew Research Center survey of 1,000 Russian adults conducted from May 22 to June 23, 2018. (For more on views within Russia, see “Russians Say Their Government Did Not Try to Influence US Presidential Election.”) Additional key findings in the report are: 

Confidence in Putin is low among both Republicans and Democrats: In the US, Putin and Russia are not popular among backers of either major political party. That said, Republicans and Republican-leaning independents currently have almost twice as much confidence in Putin to do the right thing in world affairs as Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents (28% vs. 15%). A similar divide exists with respect to views of Russia: 27% of Republicans express favorable views of Russia, compared with 16% of Democrats. 

In Europe, confidence in Putin is higher among right-wing populist party supporters: In six European countries polled, those who look favorably on right-wing populist parties are more likely to trust Putin to do the right thing in world affairs. Some of the highest confidence levels in Putin are found among Alternative for Germany (AfD) supporters (51%) and backers of France’s National Rally, formerly known as the National Front (40%). 

Younger adults tend to have more favourable views of Russia: In 10 of 25 countries surveyed, adults ages 18 to 29 have a more favorable view of Russia than those who are 50 and older. Some of the biggest differences by age are found in Tunisia, Australia and Japan, where there is at least a 20-percentage-point gap between the views of the youngest and oldest adults. 

The findings are for immediate release and are available at: http://www.pewglobal.org/2018/12/06/image-of-putin-russia-suffers-internationally.