The majority of Americans would prefer that the United States improve its relations with Russia rather than impose more sanctions on the country, a new Gallup poll revealed on Monday.
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th August, 2018) The majority of Americans would prefer that the United States improve its relations with Russia rather than impose more sanctions on the country, a new Gallup poll revealed on Monday.
"Americans believe it is more important to try to continue efforts to improve relations between the countries (58%), rather than taking strong diplomatic and economic steps against Russia (36%)," the poll said.
However, the poll found that 75 percent of Americans believe Russia interfered in the 2016 US election, and 39 percent think the interference changed the outcome of the vote.
If US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin decide to hold a second summit, most Americans would likely have low expectations about the results, because only 35 percent approve of how Trump is currently handling issues related to Russia, the poll added.
The poll had a margin of error of 4 percentage points.
On January 29, the United States started to impose sanctions on Russia under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), which Congress adopted in response to allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election.� Russia has denied all allegations of interference in the election, calling the accusations "absurd."
Earlier this month, the US State Department rolled out two more rounds of anti-Russia sanctions over a nerve agent attack against former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Great Britain. On March 4, the Skripals were found unconscious on a bench at a shopping center in Salisbury. The United Kingdom and its allies have accused Moscow of having orchestrated the attack with what UK experts claim was the A234 nerve agent, albeit without presenting any proof.
Russia firmly denies any involvement in the incident.
