End US War Machine: Per Pew Poll and Washington Post, Putin enjoys continuing confidence of Russian people which was cemented in 2014 after Crimea rejoined Russia-Washington Post 3/6/2016, Pew Poll, 2018

Washington Post

March 6, 2016, “How to understand Putin’s jawdroppingly high approval ratings," Washington Post, Michael Birnbaum, Brussels Bureau Chief covering Europe

“Analysts said that after the Crimean annexation, Putin became untouchable to a large slice of the population….

It is a development that has flummoxed Western nations and frustrated Russia’s motley band of oppositionists. Some of them say that Russians are too scared to speak their minds to pollsters. Others claim that the poll numbers are manipulated, although most Western polling firms arrive at similar figures. [2015 Pew Poll]

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Additional source: 2018 Pew Poll: “Confidence in Putin has been especially high, and intense, since 2014, the year Russia annexed Crimea."

Poll dates: May 22-June 23, 2018, 1000 Russian respondents, face to face interviews.

8/21/18, “Russians Say Their Government Did Not Try to Influence U.S. Presidential Election," Pew Research, by Jacob Poushter

“Most say Russia is playing an increasingly important role in world affairs”

page 3: “These are among the findings of a Pew Research Center survey conducted among 1,000 respondents in Russia from May 22 to June 23, 2018.”

page 10: “Results for the survey are based on face-to-face interviews.”

page 6: 81% of Russian people are confident in Putin’s handling of international affairs

“Lots of confidence in Putin, but economic worries linger

“President Putin remains a popular figure in Russia. Roughly eight-in-ten Russians (81%) have at least some confidence in his ability to handle international affairs, with 58% expressing “a lot of confidence.” Confidence in Putin has been especially high, and intense, since 2014, the year Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine. Putin retains high levels of confidence among all age groups and education and income levels, as well as both men and women....Those who have a favorable view of his political party, United Russia (Edinaya Rossiya), are almost unanimous in their confidence in his international leadership (94%).”

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