The majority of Russians negatively assess the interstate relations of Moscow and Kiev. All-Russia centre of studying of public opinion conducted a poll in which 25 percent of respondents feel “hostility,” 36 percent said “tensions”, RIA Novosti reported.
“Positive” bilateral relations have been estimated only 9% of citizens, 10 percent called them “neutral”, 13% are “cool”.
The total percentage of positive responses did not exceed the tenth part. “Friendly” relations of Russia and Ukraine consider the 5 percent of the population, “neighborly” 3 percent, “quite warm” — 1 percent of respondents.
On 10 July, the Council of national security and defense of Ukraine instructed the government, the security Service and the national Bank in the near future to make proposals for the extension of sanctions against Russia. “This is due to the fact that the US and EU decided to impose new sanctions against Russia. We cannot consider these initiatives of our strategic partners,” said Secretary of the NSDC Oleksandr Turchynov.
Relations between Kyiv and Moscow deteriorated sharply after the reunification of the Crimea with Russia in March 2014 and the beginning of the conflict in the Donbass in April of the same year. Ukraine regularly accuses neighbor in the conduct of hostilities in the South-East of its territory and calls the aggressor, Moscow denies these accusations, pointing out the lack of evidence.