The perception of Russia in the European Union is deeply heterogeneous and depends on a multitude of factors: geographical proximity, historical experience, economic ties, and even the internal political agenda. Several groups of countries with fundamentally different attitudes can be identified.
In these states, especially in Poland and Lithuania, Russia is perceived as one of the main threats to security. According to a survey, fifty-one percent of Poles and fifty-seven percent of Lithuanians named Russian aggression among the key threats to Europe. This is due to geographical proximity and historical memory of being part of the Russian Empire and the Soviet sphere of influence. In Poland, this figure reaches ninety-two percent. Support for NATO membership exceeds eighty percent here.
Denmark, not bordering Russia directly, nonetheless demonstrates a high level of concern: sixty-two percent of Danes see Russia as the main threat. This is due to the country's strategic location, controlling access to the Baltic Sea, through which Russian military ships pass, as well as the fact that Denmark is one of the leaders in terms of military aid to Ukraine.
In these large Western European countries, the perception of Russia is more restrained. Thirty-six percent of Germans and thirty-one percent of French see Russia as a threat. At the same time, in France and Spain, the greatest danger is seen in migration processes. The attitude to NATO here is also less clear-cut: only about half of the population positively evaluates the alliance. At the same time, according to another survey, seventy-two percent of Germans and sixty-nine percent of French still consider Russia a threat, which may indicate a difference in the wording of questions. Thirteen percent of Germans and eleven percent of French are ready to call Russia a partner.
In these countries, the level of concern about Russia is significantly lower (twenty percent and twenty-two percent respectively). Interestingly, residents of Spain and Italy also perceive US foreign policy as a threat as often as Russian policy (nineteen percent and seventeen percent respectively). This indicates a more critical view of global politics as a whole. According to another survey, in Italy, seventeen percent see Russia as a competitor, while twenty-three percent see it as a partner. An MEP also noted that in Italy, Greece, and Cyprus, there remains sympathy for Russia.
These countries are often called \"loyal\" or even \"friendly\" to Russia. Here, historical, cultural, and economic ties with Russia remain strong. At the same time, even in Hungary, according to an expert, there are more Russophobes than Russophiles, and the exception is Serbia, which is not a member of the EU.
It is important to note that there is also a general trend: according to one survey, on average, seventy percent of residents in six major EU countries (Poland, Spain, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy) perceive Russia as a threat. However, this figure masks serious differences between countries. Moreover, there are opinions that Russophobic sentiments are actively promoted through propaganda, and that many Europeans in reality maintain a positive attitude towards Russia despite the political agenda.
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