Share of urbanites backing alliance with Russia rose to 43 percent over year – poll

December 15, Pozirk. Support for Belarus’ alliance with Russia has increased by seven percentage points to 43 percent in a year because of propaganda and Russian-Soviet mentality, sociologists Filip Bikanaŭ and Kanstancin Nieściarovič said in a report.

However, integration supporters see it as “interstate cooperation” rather than “a merger of the key government institutions,” the researchers said. “This mostly means science, technology, visa policies, and other fields where Russia and Belarus already have fairly close ties.”

The researchers also pointed out a cultural gap, as most respondents, even pro-Russian ones, said Russian immigrants in Belarus should adopt the local culture and way of life, just like immigrants from other countries.

Nearly half of respondents agreed with the Russian propaganda claim that Ukraine is governed by Nazis.

However, even supporters of Russia’s hostilities there were oppose to Belarus’ entry into its war and tended to back closer ties with Kyiv in trade, diplomacy, and border cooperation.

Only 10 percent of respondents favored a geopolitical alliance with the European Union. Even among plain regime opponents, only half supported orientation towards the bloc.

The online survey of 1,205 town and city residents aged 18–65 was conducted from November 2 to 5 and supported by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.