MOSCOW, October 13. /TASS/. A third of respondents (33%) believe that relations between the US and Russia will improve with the return of Donald Trump to the White House, according to a poll conducted by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) among 1,600 adult Russians.

"Four out of ten Russians expect a shift in bilateral relations between Russia and the US after Trump's return to the White House (39%), including 33% who anticipate a positive change and 6% who expect a negative one. Another 46% believe the situation will remain unchanged. The available data suggests that Trump is viewed as a US president who is more favorable to Russia than Obama and particularly Biden: in 2012 [when Obama was president], only 25% of respondents expected an improvement in bilateral relations, while in 2021 [when Biden was president], only 12% held this belief," the statement said.

According to the pollsters, 69% of respondents were following the US presidential election with some level of interest, while 18% were following it very closely. A third (32%) said the election was open and fair, while 28% disagreed.