Amid purported aggression in Europe, Russia and its President Vladimir Putin were being viewed negatively by much of the international community, according to a survey published Wednesday by the Pew Research Center. The United States in particular has significantly changed its tune regarding Russia and its leader, with public opinion shifting heavily in just a few years.
Outside of its borders, a median of 30 percent of people viewed Russia favorably, Pew found. Putin got even less respect. A median of 24 percent of people in the countries surveyed "have confidence in Putin to do the right thing in world affairs," Pew reported. The research center surveyed 45,435 people in 40 different nations from March 25 to May 27, 2015. Of the 40 countries, 26 were more unfavorable toward Russia than favorable.