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Anti-Russian sanctions

More than 75% of Russians think Moscow should not fight on to lift sanctions — poll

Some 57% of Russians said so in 2015

MOSCOW, March 17. /TASS/. More than three-quarters of Russians say Moscow should not fight on to end Western sanctions introduced over the Ukrainian crisis, a poll carried out by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center showed on Friday.

"Already three-quarters of respondents share the viewpoint that Russia does not need to fight on to cancel the sanctions as they harm both this country and the states that have introduced them," the pollster said.

Some 57% of Russians said so in 2015. Only 18% of respondents believe that Moscow has to take certain steps to abolish the Western restrictions introduced in 2014 over the events in Ukraine.

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More than half of Russians (59% - the maximum number compared with previous polls) say they are ready to shoulder certain difficulties in the current economic climate so that Russia continues its foreign policy towards Ukraine.

Two years ago, some 52% of Russians said sanctions worsened the situation in the country. In March 2017, the number of Russian citizens who think so dropped to 27% One-third of the respondents said the sanctions had not seriously impacted society. Most Russians (66%) complain about rising prices and their finances waning.

Mikhail Mamonov, the center’s lead researcher, said the sanctions issue is no longer viewed as a high-profile matter and the relation to them has become routine. Additionally, the negative consequences have become associated with the aftermath of the economic crisis. "Moreover, for the first time during the monitoring, a group of people prevails who see a positive effect of the sanctions. It is evident that the extensive program of import replacement has produced clear results for the people," he said.

The nation’s leading polling agency conducted the survey among 1,200 respondents on March 2-3. The margin of error does not exceed 3.5%.

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