Kyrgyzstan
Like other former Soviet Republics, Kyrgyzstan is overwhelmingly supportive of Russian leadership. How supportive? They recently named a mountain after Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Despite this geological goodwill, official relations between the two countries were strained during the latter years of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev's rule. Bakiyev was subjected to a stream of negative reporting in Russia over his refusal to terminate America's military presence in the country while accepting Russian aid money in what was generally seen as a quid-pro-quo (one Russian paper compared Bakiyev to Genghis Khan). Bakiyev was forced from power during an uprising in April 2010, and accusations that he was anti-Russian were one of the charges leveled against him by the opposition. Under the tenure of his successor Roza Otunbayeva, Kyrgyz relations with Russia have rebounded significantly. Global Top 5s is a monthly feature by RealClearWorld.com powered by Gallup's worldwide research. Learn more at Gallup.com.
