Russen positief over Europese Unie (en)

Almost three quarters of Russian adults have "positive feelings" towards the EU, a new poll has revealed.

The poll, which aims to show whether Russians prefer the EU or the US, showed that 74 percent of people answered positively to the question "Do you have positive or negative feelings towards the European Union".

Only 14% declared that they did not like it.

The US turned out to be fairly popular as well - if less so than the Union - with 61% of people declaring "positive feelings" for it.

However, almost one-third of Russians answered negatively.

The poll was conducted by the Yuri Levada Analytical Center between 21 and 24 January and 1600 Russian adults were asked.

It comes at a time when Russia is trying to get closer both to the EU and to the US.

The country has already finished its negotiations with the EU on its terms for entering the World Trade Organisation.

Moscow has also declared its support on several occasions for the US in its fight against terrorism, even though President Vladimir Putin has qualified the US-led intervention in Iraq as a "great political error".