U.S. public opinion of Russia, Putin, drops

April 6 (UPI) -- Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, American public opinion of the former has dropped, according to new research published on Wednesday.

A Pew Research Center poll found 70% of Americans now consider Russia an enemy of the United States.

That figure is up from 41% in January.

The opinion is relatively bipartisan in nature as well, with 72% of Democrats and 69% of Republicans believing Russia is an enemy.

Public opinion of Russia is overwhelmingly negative, according to the survey, which found 92% of Americans say they have an unfavorable view of the country, including 69% who have a very unfavorable view.

The survey was conducted between March 21 and 27, about a month after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

It also found that 7% of U.S. adults have an overall favorable opinion of Russia.

Six percent express confidence in Russian President Vladimir Putin.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, 72% of those surveyed have confidence in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The survey also touches on American faith in NATO, as the organization is mentioned in daily news headlines. U.S. attitudes toward NATO have grown more positive since Russia's invasion. Two-thirds of those surveyed expressed a favorable opinion of the organization, up from 61% in 2021. Meanwhile, 69% say the United States benefits a great deal or a fair amount from being a NATO member.

Of those surveyed, 85% of liberal Democrats think the United States benefits a great deal or a fair amount from NATO membership, while among conservative Republicans, that number is only 51%.