More Americans see Russia as a threat
After the presidential election in 2016, more Americans than ever say they fear Russia. One in four said they consider the country to be an immediate danger to the United States.
The proportion who see Russia as a potential threat to the United States has increased from 76 to 82% since March 2015.
The figures were taken from a recent survey by Reuters/Ipsos. The figures are about equal among Democratic and Republican voters.
The survey asked respondents rank a number of countries by how great a threat they pose to the United States.
Russia was second to the top of the list, beaten only by North Korea, but was viewed as potentially more dangerous than Iran, Syria, China, Saudi Arabia, Cuba and Yemen.
The increased concern comes after an election in which President-elect Donald Trump’s financial ties to Russia became a topic, as well as unconfirmed intelligence information that Russia tried to influence the elections, including by hacking U.S. computer systems.
Trump has repeatedly praised Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling him a ‘strong leader’ with whom he hopes to get a ‘good relationship’.
Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today
