NEW YORK, March 22. /TASS/. Crimea’s residents prefer being part of Russia than of Ukraine, the U.S. magazine Forbes published results of a number of opinion polls carried out by Western research organisations,
One year after the peninsula in the Black Sea acceded Russia, Forbes said "poll after poll shows that the locals there - be they Ukrainians, ethnic Russians or Tartars are all in agreement: life with Russia is better than life with Ukraine."
"Despite huge efforts on the part of Kiev, Brussels, Washington and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the bulk of humanity living on the Black Sea peninsula believe the referendum to secede from Ukraine was legit," the magazine says.
In confirmation, Forbes cited the results of two opinion polls. In June 2014 the U.S. Gallup opinion poll organisation said that 83% of Crimea’s residents believed that the referendum on reunification with Russia reflected the views of the people.
In February 2015 the German marketing company GfK revealed that the Crimeans did not changed their attitudes: 82% of the population are for reunification with Russia.
"With two studies out of the way, both Western-based, it seems without question that the vast majority of Crimeans do not feel they were duped into voting, and that life with Russia will be better for them and their families than life with Ukraine," the magazine said adding that majority of the peninsula residents are ethnic Russians.