Strong support for Putin in Russia – poll

Nearly four out of five Russians trust the president to do the right thing, according to the country’s main state pollster

More than 75% of Russians approve of President Vladimir Putin’s policies, according to the latest weekly survey by the country’s state pollster.

The Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VTSIOM) has long polled a representative sample of adult citizens from across the country, making 1,600 calls a day and aggregating the averages on a weekly basis.

The percentage of Russians who said they trust Putin reached 78.8% in the week of November 11-17, while 75.5% entirely approve of his actions, according to the surveys published on Friday.

Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin’s approval rating was at 52%, while the cabinet stood slightly lower at 49.8%.

Mishustin’s trustworthiness stood at 61.4%. The opposition politician securing the highest trust rating was the Communist Party’s Gennady Zyuganov at 33.5%.

Some 36.2% of respondents expressed approval of the governing United Russia party, while the Communists garnered 9.7% and the Liberal Democrats 10.4%.