It turns out Americans are a bit torn when it comes to how they feel about Russia these days. According to a new Pew Research Center poll, just 50% of U.S. adults currently consider Russia an enemy—a notable drop from the 61% who felt that way last year, and a sharp slide from the 70% peak back in 2022. So, what’s going on?
Well, for starters, these numbers come as the Trump administration attempts to steer the Ukraine conflict toward some sort of resolution. Timing is everything, and this dip in hostility may reflect a shift in public perception as diplomatic efforts pick up steam—however rocky those talks may be.
Interestingly, not everyone’s on the same page. There’s a serious partisan divide here: 62% of Democrats still view Russia as an enemy, but only 40% of Republicans say the same. Instead, nearly half of Republicans (45%) now see Russia more as a competitor than a flat-out foe. Meanwhile, just 9% of all Americans surveyed think of Russia as a partner, which says a lot about how far things have shifted since the Cold War days—but also how far they haven’t.
Despite the softening numbers, unfavorable views of Russia still dominate. A whopping 85% of those polled say they see Russia in a negative light—either very or somewhat unfavorably. Only 13% have anything good to say.
The poll, which surveyed 3,605 adults from March 24 to March 30, came just after a Trump-Putin phone call that reportedly focused on pushing forward peace talks. Both camps called the discussion “productive,” though Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov admitted the negotiations remain “difficult.”
And things could get more complicated. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio hinted that Washington might walk away from the talks altogether if no meaningful progress is made soon. Bloomberg, meanwhile, reported that the U.S. has floated a controversial peace proposal to its allies—one that would ease sanctions on Russia and essentially let Moscow keep control of the former Ukrainian territories that voted to join it. That plan also reportedly scraps Ukraine’s NATO ambitions, a move likely designed to appease Russia.
Unsurprisingly, Ukraine isn’t having it. Officials there have made it crystal clear that ceding territory to Russia is a nonstarter.
So, where does that leave the American public? Somewhere in the middle, it seems. The enemy label is losing ground, but trust isn’t exactly on the rise either. As diplomacy trudges along and political lines harden, it’s safe to say the Russia question isn’t going away anytime soon.
