Estonia has “improved” its standing as one of the most important “enemies” of Russia, having positioned seventh in 2017 – two notches up from last year.
The friends and enemies’ lists are compiled every year by the Levada Centre polling agency and are based on public opinion. The poll asks respondents to name five countries that are, in their opinion, the friendliest towards Russia, and then another five that are the most hostile. The Levada Centre titles the list as “The ‘friends’ and ‘enemies’ of Russia”.
In both 2016 and 2017, 16 per cent of the respondents named Estonia among their pick of the five “enemies”; however, last year Estonia placed ninth – and this year seventh. It’s not the “best” position for Estonia in the Russia’s enemies’ list as in 2007, the country topped the list with 60 per cent of the poll’s respondents naming Estonia as a hostile country – making the tiny state of 1.3 million the biggest enemy of the Russian Federation.
This year’s list is topped by the United States (69%), Ukraine (50%), Germany, Latvia and Lithuania (all 24%). The sixth most hostile enemy, according to the people, is Poland (21%).
After Estonia comes the United Kingdom (15%), Georgia (9%) and France (8%).
The top 10 has somewhat changed compared with 2016 when the top ten was: the United States, Ukraine, Turkey, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Germany, the UK, Estonia and Georgia.
The Levada Centre also compiles lists of the friendliest countries towards Russia, using the same method. According to the average Russian, the friendliest countries are Belarus, Kazakhstan and China.
The 20 countries most hostile towards Russia throughout the years (percentage of respondents naming the country):
| 2006 | 2007 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | |
| 1. The US | 37 | 35 | 45 | 26 | 33 | 35 | 38 | 69 | 73 | 72 | 69 |
| 2. Ukraine | 27 | 23 | 41 | 13 | 20 | 15 | 11 | 30 | 37 | 48 | 50 |
| 3. Germany | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 24 |
| 4. Latvia | 46 | 36 | 35 | 36 | 35 | 26 | 21 | 23 | 25 | 23 | 24 |
| 5. Lithuania | 42 | 32 | 35 | 35 | 34 | 25 | 17 | 24 | 25 | 23 | 24 |
| 6. Poland | 7 | 20 | 10 | 14 | 20 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 22 | 24 | 21 |
| 7. Estonia | 28 | 60 | 30 | 28 | 30 | 23 | 16 | 21 | 19 | 16 | 16 |
| 8. The UK | 5 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 18 | 21 | 18 | 15 |
| 9. Georgia | 44 | 46 | 62 | 57 | 50 | 41 | 33 | 19 | 11 | 10 | 9 |
| 10. France | 1 | 1 | 1 | <1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 8 |
| 11. Turkey | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 29 | 8 |
| 12. Japan | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 |
| 13. Syria | <1 | <1 | <1 | <1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 14. Canada | 1 | <1 | 1 | <1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 3 |
| 15. Afghanistan | 12 | 11 | 7 | 14 | 15 | 8 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| 16. Iraq | 9 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 17. Romania | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| 18. Saudi Arabia | – | 1 | <1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 19. China | – | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 1 | <1 | 1 | 2 |
| 20. Iran | 7 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
The 20 countries most friendly towards Russia throughout the years (percentage of respondents naming the country):
| 2006 | 2007 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | |
| 1. Belarus | 47 | 38 | 50 | 49 | 35 | 34 | 46 | 51 | 55 | 50 | 46 |
| 2. China | 24 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 20 | 40 | 43 | 34 | 39 |
| 3. Kazakhstan | 33 | 39 | 38 | 32 | 33 | 28 | 31 | 37 | 41 | 39 | 34 |
| 4. Syria | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 15 |
| 5. India | 15 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 9 | 7 | 13 | 18 | 18 | 14 |
| 6. Armenia | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 13 | 12 |
| 7. Cuba | – | 8 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 14 | 10 | 11 |
| 8. Uzbekistan | 6 | 6 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 9 |
| 9. Tajikistan | 3 | 7 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 9 |
| 10. Azerbaijan | 7 | 5 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 7 | 9 |
| 11. Kyrgyzstan | 7 | 7 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 8 |
| 12. Moldova | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| 13. Turkey | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 6 |
| 14. Serbia | 4 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 5 |
| 15. Iran | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 16. Vietnam | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 4 | 4 |
| 17. Bulgaria | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| 18. Japan | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 4 |
| 19. Georgia | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| 20.Turkmenistan | 2 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 |
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Cover: The Russian bear (the image is illustrative.)
