Sphere of Influence
During the Cold War, it was often assumed - and expected - that countries should pick a side: either you were with the United States, or you were with the Soviet Union. At that time, where a country's loyalties laid held dramatic geopolitical implications, echoing all the way from Washington's Capitol building to the halls of power in the Kremlin. Much has changed since the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The ideological struggle that marked the Cold War has been put to bed, but the quest for influence beyond borders never rests. With the emergence of several independent republics, not to mention an uninhibited Eastern Europe, Moscow has had to win by diplomacy, aid and influence what it once secured by force. With a potentially contentious Russian presidential election looming in 2012, we at RealClearWorld thought it would be useful to examine just where Russia's leadership is most prized, and respected. Using Gallup data, we set out to find the Top 5 Most Pro-Russian Countries.
