Indian Public Opinion Favors Putin Over Trump, Pew Survey Finds

Kyiv: Amidst the changing geopolitical circumstances of the world, there has been a big change in the thinking of people in India regarding America. According to the latest global survey by the prestigious American organization Pew Research Center, for the first time in the last two and a half decades, Indians' trust in American leadership has reached its lowest level. The survey shows that while on one hand the positive attitude towards America has weakened, on the other hand Indians consider Russian President Vladimir Putin a more trustworthy leader than US President Donald Trump. Experts are linking this to the impact of global politics and America's recent policies.

What does Pew Research's survey say?

According to the survey, 51 percent of Indians have expressed confidence in the leadership of Vladimir Putin, while Donald Trump got the support of only 39 percent of people. After this, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was considered trustworthy leader by 34 percent, French President Emmanuel Macron by 33 percent, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky by 29 percent and Chinese President Xi Jinping by 25 percent.

How much did America's image decline?

The report shows that last year, while 54 percent Indians had a positive opinion towards America, now this figure has come down to 45 percent. On the other hand, the number of people having negative opinions about America has increased to 31 percent, which is considered to be the highest in the history of the survey. This clearly indicates that the attitude of Indians regarding American policies has changed a lot compared to before.

Why did trust in Donald Trump decrease?

Foreign policy experts believe that many of Trump's policies have affected his popularity among Indians. Dissatisfaction has increased among people regarding global tariffs, strict immigration policy, aggressive attitudes towards countries like Iran and Venezuela and America's changing strategy on international issues. In the survey, only 32 percent Indians supported Trump's immigration policy, while his decisions related to Iran and Venezuela also got limited support.

Has trust in America decreased in the world too?

The survey is not limited to India only. On an average, only 23 percent of the people of the 36 countries involved expressed confidence in the leadership of Donald Trump. A significant decline in trust in America was also recorded in countries like Indonesia, Italy, South Korea, South Africa, Nigeria and Turkey. At the same time, only 35 percent of the people in the world believe that America is playing an effective role in maintaining global peace and stability.

What does this change indicate for India?

Experts say that the strategic relations between India and America remain strong, but this change in public opinion reflects the changing equations of global politics. In India, this survey was conducted on the basis of face-to-face conversations with 3,566 people in 13 languages. The report indicates that the image of countries in international affairs is now being determined not only by diplomatic relations but also by their policies and global decisions.