Person of Influence: Italians Give Kudos to Vladimir Putin

A poll has revealed that many Italians see Russia as the most influential country in the world and Russian President Vladimir as the world's most influential politician, according to the Italian newspaper Il Libero Quotidiano.

Many in Italy consider Russia to be the world's most influential country and believe President Vladimir Putin is the most influential world politician, according to the Italian newspaper Il Libero Quotidiano.

The newspaper referred to an opinion poll conducted by the global market research company Ipsos earlier this month.

According to the survey, 28 percent of the respondents claim Putin is the world’s most influential political leader, slightly more than the 27 percent who chose US President Barack Obama.

The poll also showed that at least 66 percent of Italians believe Russia is the most influential country in the world.

Additionally, the poll revealed that many Italians see the Russian air strikes in Syria in a positive light, despite the fact that some of them supported Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's decision to refrain from military intervention in the Syrian conflict.

In late October, Putin's approval rating in Russia set a new record at 89.9 percent, topping the previous maximum set in June 2015, when its average monthly value was 89.1 percent.

The relevant poll was released by Russia’s nationwide public opinion research center VTsIOM.

The Russian air campaign in Syria was launched on September 30, when more than fifty Russian warplanes, including Su-24M, Su-25 and Su-34 jets, commenced precision airstrikes on Islamic State targets at the behest of Syrian President Bashar Assad.