Russian poll cites U.S. as a threat

MOSCOW, May 13 (UPI) -- A survey of Russians indicates 59 percent regard the United States as a threat to their country, and about a third of that number fear a U.S. invasion.

The number of people who perceive a threat is up from 47 percent in 2007. The survey, by Moscow's respected Levada Center analysis group, also says 48 percent of respondents care concerned the United States could hinder Russia's development, 40 percent feared a U.S. takeover of the Russian economy and 36 percent were concerned about U.S. imposition of American values and ideals. Of those who consider the united States a threat, 31 percent believed the possibility of an invasion and occupation of Russia by the United States.

"Lately we can see that all the measures (currently in Russia) are directed at the consolidation of national identity, and depicting the United States as the enemy has become one of the structural elements for social consolidation," said Levada Center sociologist Karina Pipiya, quoted in the Russian newspaper Izvestia.

Similar concerns can be observed in the United States. A recent Gallup poll of Americans rated Russia the United States' greatest enemy; Russia was named by 18 percent of respondents, up from 2 percent in 2013. The Levada Center poll was conducted in April among 1,600 respondents. It has a margin of error of plus-or-minus 3.4 percent.