Over 45% of Russians expect thaw in Moscow-Washington ties after Trump's victory

About 46 percent of the Russians express hope for improvement of bilateral relations between Moscow and Washington after Donald Trump’s victory in the 2016 US presidential election, a new poll showed Friday, Sputnik news agency reported.

"Hope for restoration and strengthening of the Russian-US relations during Trump's presidency has significantly increased in our society after [the US presidential election]," the survey of the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VTsIOM) obtained by RIA Novosti said.

The poll added that only three percent of respondents said that bilateral ties would deteriorate, while 29 percent said that the situation would not change. The poll was conducted on November 12-13 among about 1,600 respondents in 130 settlements across Russia.

Since 2014, relations between Russia and the United States deteriorated amid the crisis in Ukraine. Washington and its allies have introduced several rounds of anti-Russia sanctions since Crimea became part of Russia in 2014 and over Moscow's alleged involvement in the Ukrainian conflict. 

Russia has repeatedly refuted the allegations, warning that the Western sanctions are counterproductive and undermine global stability.

Source: MENA