---
title: "1. Is Russia a threat to neighboring countries?"
description: "Hungarians and Poles take different views on whether Russia poses a threat to its neighboring countries aside from Ukraine. In Hungary, opinion is somewhat split. About a third of Hungarians, respectively, say Russia is a major threat or a minor military threat. And 27% do not consider Russia to pose a threat to neighboring countries. […]"
date: "2023-10-02"
authors:
  - name: "Moira Fagan"
    job_title: "Research Associate"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/moira-fagan/"
  - name: "Laura Clancy"
    job_title: "Research Analyst"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/laura-clancy/"
  - name: "Sneha Gubbala"
    job_title: "Research Analyst"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/sneha-gubbala/"
  - name: "Sarah Austin"
    job_title: "Former Research Assistant"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/sarah-austin/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2023/10/02/is-russia-a-threat-to-neighboring-countries/"
categories:
  - "Global Image of Countries"
  - "International Affairs"
  - "International Political Values"
  - "U.S. Global Image"
datasets:
  - name: "Spring 2023 Survey Data"
    url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/dataset/spring-2023-survey-data/"
---

# 1. Is Russia a threat to neighboring countries?

Hungarians and Poles take different views on whether Russia poses a threat to its neighboring countries aside from Ukraine.

[![A horizontal stacked bar chart showing that Poles are much more likely than Hungarians to see Russia as a major military threat.](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2023/09/PG_23.10.02_Hungary-Poland_01_1.png?w=620)](https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2023/10/02/is-russia-a-threat-to-neighboring-countries/pg_23-10-02_hungary-poland_01_1-png/)

In Hungary, opinion is somewhat split. About a third of Hungarians, respectively, say Russia is a major threat or a minor military threat. And 27% do not consider Russia to pose a threat to neighboring countries. Those who place themselves on the ideological right in Hungary are more likely than those on the left to say Russia is not a threat.

Support for Hungary’s politically dominant right-wing populist party Fidesz plays a role on opinion here as well. Hungarians with a favorable view of Fidesz are *less* likely to say Russia is a major threat and *more* likely to say Russia is not a threat than those with an unfavorable view of the party.

In Poland, which shares a border with both Ukraine and the [Russian province of Kaliningrad](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-18284828), 77% say Russia is a major threat to neighboring countries. Just 13% say Russia poses a minor threat, and 5% say it is not a threat at all. Those with a favorable view of the ruling right-wing populist party Law and Justice (PiS) are more likely to say Russia is a major threat than those with an unfavorable view of the party (85% vs. 74%, respectively). For more information on how we categorize populist parties, [read the Appendix](https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2023/10/02/appendix-classifying-european-political-parties/).

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**Next:** [2. Opinion of sanctions imposed on Russia](https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2023/10/02/opinion-of-sanctions-imposed-on-russia.md)