Russians’ view of the US has improved in recent years, but is still negative overall, new data shows A new survey conducted by the Public Opinion Foundation (FOM) indicates that Russians’ opinions of the US have improved over the past decade, though negative attitudes still prevail overall.The study polled a total of 1,500 people from across the country in early June. The results, published on Tuesday, show a marked shift in public attitudes compared to 2015.According to the survey, 18% of respondents said they now feel positive about the US – nearly double the 10% recorded ten years ago. The share of those expressing negative views of America dropped from 38% to 31% over the same period.The number of people who described themselves as indifferent toward the US also fell, from 46% to 40%, while 11% said they were unsure of how they felt.Despite the changes in sentiment, expectations for the future of Russian-American relations remain mixed, the study showed. Nearly a third (31%) of respondents said they saw grounds for improvement, while 7% believed relations would worsen. Just over a third (39%) expected no change, and 23% were uncertain. At the same time, 48% of those surveyed said they believe Moscow and Washington could eventually establish friendly relations. Respondents cited several conditions for this to happen – chiefly, an end to the Ukraine conflict, negotiations, mutual understanding, and the rebuilding of trust.When asked about what direction Russia should take in terms of foreign policy, a majority (61%) said Moscow should aim for close and friendly ties with the US. However, nearly a third (31%) pointed out that such an alignment was impossible due to deep-rooted differences in “values and mentality.”When respondents were asked about their perception of US President Donald Trump, 36% indicated they had a positive view of the American leader, while 26% expressed a negative opinion. At the same time, 47% thought that Trump made decisions based on emotions, while 28% said his decisions were rational.