Behind Russian President Vladimir Putin, it seems that Russian Defense Minister Shoigu is also wildly popular, reflecting a Russian respect for the armed forces.
“Approval ratings and level of trust toward Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu are very high — 84% and 88% correspondingly,” WCIOM Chairman of the Board Konstantin Abramov told Russian state news agency TASS on Thursday.
As in the United States, regard for the military is also very high, although much higher amongst the Russian population. Almost 90% of Russians think the Russian military will be able to protect them from external threats and over 80% have a high regard for the Russian army.
“This is happening against the backdrop of existing external threats which our citizens register. Sixty-nine percent of respondents think that the external threat from other countries is obvious, relevant and increasing,” Abramov noted. The demand for a strong army is “indisputable” as 88% of Russians think that this is a priority for the country. “The share is lower among young people but still represents the majority (78%). Almost every other Russian (45%) stands for increasing influence of the army on the society. Only five percent of people hold an opposite opinion,” Abramov added.
