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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Jon Henley Europe correspondent

Europeans who see Russia as adversary or rival double in number since 2021

Vladimir Putin
About 64% of respondents across the 11 EU member states in the survey said they saw Vladimir Putin’s Russia as a competitor (9%) or an opponent (55%). Photograph: Gavriil Grigorov/AP

Fifteen months after Russia invaded Ukraine, twice as many Europeans – almost two-thirds – view Moscow as an adversary or rival as did before the war, but opinions on the continent’s long-term relations with its eastern neighbour still vary widely.

A multi-country survey by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) also found a large majority in favour of the EU boosting its defence capabilities rather than relying on the US and many seeing China as a partner, not a competitor.

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