March 10, 2007

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Vladimir Putin maintains a high level of support in the Russian Federation, according to a poll by the Yury Levada Analytical Center. 81 per cent of respondents approve of their president's performance, down five points since January.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Vladimir Putin maintains a high level of support in the Russian Federation, according to a poll by the Yury Levada Analytical Center. 81 per cent of respondents approve of their president's performance, down five points since January.

Putin was elected to a second term as president in March 2004 with 71.31 per cent of all cast ballots. In April 2005, Putin ruled out seeking a new mandate, saying, "I will not change the constitution and in line with the constitution, you cannot run for president three times in a row."

Yesterday, Putin vowed to help the country's armed forces, saying, "We can't help noticing that attempts to settle intentional disputes by force are continuing, or that the threat of conflicts between states, territories, the escalation of local conflicts and the spread of weapons of mass destruction remain problems. All this requires the steady improvement of the country's military organization, including the maintenance of high combat readiness for the nuclear deterrence forces."

Polling Data

Do you approve or disapprove of Vladimir Putin's performance as president?

	Feb. 2007	Jan. 2007
Approve	81%	86%
Disapprove	18%	13%

Source: Yury Levada Analytical Center
Methodology: Interviews to 1,600 Russian adults, conducted from Feb. 11 to Feb. 14, 2007. No margin of error was provided.