The number of Merkel supporters in Russia has significantly decreased since 2011, a survey published by the Pew Research Center showed.
“In 2011, 78% of Russians saw Germany in a positive light. In 2015, less than half that proportion (35%) voiced such sentiment,” it said.
Interestingly, the deterioration in Russian-German relations occurred before the beginning of the Ukraine crisis. The poll showed that the confidence of Western countries in Russian President Vladimir Putin since 2011 has been assessed as “low to very low”.
The poll also surprisingly showed that Obama was “almost an idol in Russia” before the outbreak of the “new Cold War,” DWN wrote. But this positive sign was made null and void by Washington’s saber-rattling and sharp anti-American sentiment in many Russian media, DWN reported.
As for Germany, the breakdown in the relations between Germany and Russia is likely to have a lasting negative impact on both countries. For instance, Russia’s orientation towards Asian countries may lead to Germany’s isolation from major economic projects including the Silk Road, while further anti-Russian sanctions may have a devastating effect on the German agricultural sector and the Russian economy.
