Survey: Slovaks see Russia as partner, but refuse orientation towards East

Slovakia, together with Serbia, Bulgaria and Montenegro, are some of the most pro-Russian oriented countries in the Central European and Balkan regions, according to the latest survey conducted by GLOBSEC. "In light of the shared history, this doesn't come as a surprise. More detailed data show that Russia is perceived as the most important strategic partner by 47 percent of respondents in the 65+ age category, but only by 29 percent of respondents in the 18-24 age group," survey author Daniel Milo stated on Wednesday. Despite these prevailing pro-Russian sentiments, the inhabitants of the four countries reject Russia as a preferred choice for geopolitical and cultural orientation. The survey about the image of Russia in Eastern and Central Europe and the Balkans was conducted on a sample of 1,000 respondents from nine countries. It was carried out in September and October 2020.