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Crimea and Sevastopol

Sanctions don’t scare: Russians brush off "insignificant aftermaths"

Poll returns recorded that 52% of 1,600 surveyed Russian nationals believed relations between Russia and the West can be only tense, based on mistrust

© ITAR-TASS/Valery Sharifulin

MOSCOW, March 27. /ITAR-TASS/. Sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union on Russia after Crimea’s accession have not scared Russian citizens, suggests an opinion poll by the WCIOM Public Opinion Foundation, carried out in 42 Russian regions.

Poll returns recorded that 52% of 1,600 surveyed Russian nationals believed “relations between Russia and the West can be only tense, based on mistrust”. Thirty-four percent, mainly young people admitted the possibility of “truly friendly” cooperation. However, no more than 15% were concerned over measures such as visa bans and assets freezes for certain Russians, or over diplomatic retaliation.

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