Distortion and manipulation of Ukrainian poll results is a favorite topic of Russian media. On the eve the country’s 25th independence anniversary scores of Russian media (RIA Novosti, REN TV, Vzglyad, PolitChaos, Chastnye Voyennye Kompanyi, UBR, Kharkov News Agency) declared that only 60% of Ukrainians considered themselves citizens of their country.
The poll in question was conducted by the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences Sociology Institute and the Intellectual Perspective Fund. The poll’s aim was to determine what Ukrainians primarily identify with, their country, cities and regions they reside in, ethnic communities, the former USSR, Europe or the world. While 60% of respondents identify with being citizens of Ukraine, 22% identify with their city or region. (Full poll results available here.)
Russian media also distorted poll results regarding NATO and the EU claiming that improvements promised from closer association with the EU did not materialize therefore Ukrainians had gone sour on the EU and as much as 52.7% were against Ukraine joining NATO.
In fact the poll results for or against joining NATO are tied at 38%. 23.5% found the question difficult to answer.
Recent multicountry polls have shown that 56% of Americans are proud to be citizens of their country. Citizens of Qatar came in the highest at 98%.
