Britain overtakes US on Russia's hate list

BRITAIN has overtaken the United States to become Russia's second most hated country, according to a major new survey by the Levada Centre, a leading independent Russian pollster. In a striking shift, 49 percent of Russians now name the UK as one of their country's principal enemies - second only to Germany, which tops the list at 55 percent.

The US, long perceived as Moscow's chief adversary, has fallen to fourth place, cited by just 40 percent of respondents. Ukraine remains near the top at 43 percent. The results mark sthe first time in more than two decades that the US has dropped out of the top three in Russia's hierarchy of perceived threats.

Analysts say the change reflects growing animosity toward European powers specifically, and a broader narrative within Russia that casts the war in Ukraine as part of a Western effort led not just by Washington, but by London and Berlin in particular.

Attitudes towards the UK have worsened sharply since 2022, when Britain emerged as one of Kyiv's most vocal and active military backers. Although sentiment has recovered slightly in recent months - with 20 percent now reporting a "good" attitude toward Britain, up from 15 percent - nearly two-thirds (64 percent) still say they view the UK negatively.

The data also suggest a generational divide: while 37 percent of young Russians under 24 say they view the UK positively, that figure drops to just 11 percent among those aged 55 and over.

The polling comes amid continued diplomatic and military tensions between Russia and Western nations.

The UK has played a central role in coordinating NATO support for Ukraine, training Ukrainian troops, and supplying long-range missile systems, including Storm Shadows.

British intelligence has also been instrumental in tracking Russian troop movements and arms flows, according to Western officials.

In contrast, US-Russia hostility appears to be easing slightly at a public level.

Attitudes toward the US improved by 21 percentage points since September 2024, with 37 percent of Russians now expressing a positive view - nearly double the UK's total.

The Levada Centre attributed this shift partly to "peacemaking efforts" by the Trump administration, which has signalled a greater interest in de-escalation than its predecessor.

Paradoxically, while 74 percent of Russians express a hostile view of Ukraine, that sentiment has not translated into greater strategic alarm. Analysts note that Ukraine is increasingly viewed as a proxy - with the real threat seen to lie in the broader Western coalition backing it.

Despite the hardening of views, the majority of Russians still say they favour détente with the West.

According to Levada, two-thirds of respondents believe relations will remain defined by mistrust - yet most still support efforts to reduce tensions.

The findings underscore the UK's status as a primary antagonist in Russian eyes, a role that carries both risks and potential leverage in any future diplomatic or military standoff.

Alexander Lord, lead Europe -Eurasia analyst for Sibylline strategic risk group, said: "It's not surprising that the UK is high on the list. Many within the Russian nationalist intelligentsia, for example, consider the UK to be their most pernicious enemy.

"After all, we galvanised European support after 2022 with various initiatives to expand support for Ukraine. And that obviously didn't go unnoticed in Moscow."

And the US has slipped down the ranking of hostile nations because it is no longer seen as a threat.

"This is all to do with the feeling, apparently, that Trump wants peace,," he said.

"While the US under Donald Trump is seen as more malleable, the UK has remained consistent in its approach to the Putin regime."