Worldwide popularity of Russian leadership surges ahead of Chinese & American for first time, while Germany remains in lead – poll

In 2020, global approval of Russian President Vladimir Putin rose ahead of his American and Chinese counterparts Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, a poll has revealed. The popularity of Moscow’s leadership has grown yearly since 2015.

According to Gallup, the Washington-based pollster and management-consulting firm, international approval of the then-Chinese and American leaders fell to 30%, both tying for the last spot on the whole planet. Russia currently stands at 34%.

Far ahead of all three was Germany, in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s penultimate year in office, at a record-high of 52% for the year.

Gallup conducted its first Global Leadership Ratings poll in 2007, and, until the latest report, Russia had been behind the US and China in every single one.

In the last 14 years, the popularity of the leadership in Beijing has remained steady, while Washington’s approval has taken a tumble since the inauguration of Trump in January 2017. In contrast, Putin has only gotten more popular, rising from a low of 22% in 2014, when then-US President Barack Obama stood at 46%.

However, according to preliminary and partially-conducted research for the 2021 report, due to be published next year, the American leadership has recovered significantly since Trump left office and was replaced by current President Joe Biden. The poll is conducted yearly in more than 100 countries, and just 46 have been surveyed so far.

The new Gallup poll contrasts significantly with a survey published earlier this year by the Pew Research Center, which focused on the views of Putin in advanced economies. The report revealed that just 22% of those from the world’s wealthiest nations have confidence in the Russian president.

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