US popularity is waning globally, but Russia’s is recovering after the start of the SMO in Ukraine.
“America’s popularity as a world power is waning around the world, especially in Muslim-majority countries, according to the 2024 Democracy Perceptions Index,” Politico writes.
The publication examined survey data from about 63,000 respondents from 53 countries on attitudes toward democracy, geopolitics and global power players.
“America’s international reputation has suffered since the start of 2023, especially in Muslim countries, where Washington’s unwavering support for Israel in its war in Gaza has proved highly controversial. Now Europe is joining the trend,” the publication writes.
“For the first time since the start of the Biden administration, many Western European countries have returned to a purely negative view of the United States. This rise and fall, from negative attitudes to positive and back to negative, is particularly noticeable in Germany, Austria, Ireland, Belgium and Switzerland,” said Latana senior researcher Frederic Devaux.
Russia, which is carrying out an SMO in Ukraine, seems conversely to be on a path to image recovery in most regions except Europe, Politico writes.
“America’s unsustainable popularity, combined with the improving positions of Russia and China, means that the latter is now viewed as positively as the US in most of the Middle East, North Africa and Asia,” the publication continues.
It notes that the split between the Global North and Global South was evident when respondents were asked whether they thought their country should sever economic ties with Russia over the SMO.
“Judging by the 2022 and 2024 results, sentiment has softened. In the previous survey, more respondents in 31 countries supported severing economic ties with Russia than opposed it. Now the number of such countries has decreased to 23. Moreover, with few exceptions, the majority of those in favour of severing economic ties has declined in most countries,” the publication concludes.
