(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many people in Britain think Western nations should pay close attention to Russia, according to a poll by YouGov. 48 per cent of respondents say the West should fear the military power of Russia.

Additionally, 57 per cent of respondents think most countries were caught off guard by the recent conflict between Georgia and Russia over the breakaway region of South Ossetia. In light of this conflict, 37 per cent of respondents think Russia is trying to bring back the Soviet Union of the Cold War era, and 32 per cent think British prime minister Gordon Brown should have done more to help the Georgians.

According to international regulations, South Ossetia and Abkhazia belong to Georgia—a former Soviet republic. In the early 1990s, both pro-Russian regions became de facto independent but failed to be fully recognized as sovereign nations. Separatist forces operate in both regions. Georgia is currently led by pro-Western politicians and is in talks to enter the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

On Aug. 7, the Georgian government sent troops into South Ossetia in a surprise attack to assert sovereignty over the region. The following day, Russian tanks entered South Ossetia and confronted the Georgian army. The Russian government claimed that it was acting in defence of Russian citizens living in the region. In recent years, Russia has handed Russian passports to the vast majority of South Ossetia residents. Russian troops occupied South Ossetia and other parts of Georgia, and some disturbances were reported in Abkhazia as well.

On Aug. 12, Brown discussed a ceasefire proposal presented by international leaders, saying, "There must now be talks that will resolve this once and for all. We cannot continue with the situation where hostilities are likely. We must bring them to an end by having a permanent solution to this problem."

Polling Data

From what you know about events in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia in recent days, do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

Source: YouGov
Methodology: Online interviews with 1,745 British voters, conducted on Aug. 14 and Aug. 15, 2008. No margin of error was provided.

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