Two-Thirds of Russians Feel No Impact of Western Sanctions: Poll

"The respondents assess more unambiguously the impact of Western sanctions on their family’s financial position: 67% of them did not feel their effect. However, there can be clearly seen the share of those who speak about negative implications - 24% across the sample (it reaches 36% in the group of the respondents who assess their financial position as low)," the All-Russia Public Opinion Center said in its report.

As the poll suggests, Russians are divided on the benefit or the harm of the sanctions for the Russian economy: 34% of those polled believe that the sanctions have had a beneficial effect compared to 30% of the respondents who hold the opposite opinion while every fifth respondent (20%) sees no impact of the sanctions policy on the country’s economic development, TASS news agency reported.

Responding to a question about positive consequences of the sanctions, the Russians noted a boost in the country’s economic development (50%) and import substitution (20%). Among the negative implications, the respondents singled out the growth of prices and taxes (22%) and the economy’s decline (9%).

Generally, the issue of sanctions remains topical for Russians: 57% of those polled pay attention to it. Replying to a question about Russia’s counter-sanctions, 73% of the respondents said they supported the country’s tough foreign policy without concessions to the West while 17% of those polled disagreed with that.

Most of the respondents (78%) believe that Western countries are suffering to a larger extent from the anti-Russian sanctions.

"Almost four years after they were imposed, the anti-Russian sanctions do not cause any special fear. Moreover, a considerable part of our respondents see mostly positive economic consequences in them. Nevertheless, every fourth respondent sees negative implications from the sanctions for his own well-being and for the well-being of his close relatives," Head of the All-Russia Public Opinion Research Center Valery Fyodorov said, commenting on the poll results.

The poll was held on June 10-11, 2018. The error margin does not exceed 2.5% with a 95% probability.

In 2014, the European Union imposed sanctions on Russia over the developments in Ukraine and Crimea’s reintegration with Russia and numerously broadened and extended them. The EU suspended talks on visa-free travel and a new basic cooperation agreement and imposed a ban on entry to EU countries for officials from Russia and froze their assets, as well as introduced restrictions in the trade, financial and military spheres. Overall, the EU blacklisted 151 individuals and 37 companies. Sectoral sanctions were imposed against 20 Russian financial, oil extracting and defense structures.

The United States started imposing sanctions on Russia in March 2014 over the events in Ukraine and Crimea’s reintegration with the Russian Federation. The sanctions were slapped against certain Russian banks and companies and some high-placed officials. Also, the United States imposed a ban on the export of US goods, technologies and services to Crimea. US investments on the territory of Crimea were also banned. The United States numerously broadened and extended its sanctions against Russia.