Russians do not recognize the international tribunal and consider the payment of reparations to Ukraine as a manifestation of weakness.
The Institute for Conflict Studies and Analysis of Russia (IKAR) conducted an all-Russian sociological study dedicated to the attitude of Russian society towards the law and tribunal concerning the Russian Federation. The field stage of the research lasted from April 10 to April 24, 2023, based on an all-Russian sample. The survey methodology is CATI method (Computer Assisted Telephone Interview), telephone survey using interactive structured questionnaires with the help of special software for sociological surveys. A total of 1,600 respondents were interviewed.
Main results of the survey:
More than half (55%) of Russian citizens are confident that their country should not recognize the international tribunal concerning Russia.
Majority of Russian citizens (64%) believe that Russian officials do not obey the law. They have almost the same perception of officials from Western countries (EU, USA) – 55% are confident that officials in Western world also break the law in most or the overwhelming majority of cases.
Almost three-quarters (71%) of Russians are against paying reparations for the restoration of Ukraine. The main reason is that it would show Russia’s weakness in the world’s eyes. Only 6% support full payment of reparations in case if they are awarded, and another 10% agree to partial reparations.
The legal consciousness of Russians is in a “split” state, which is common characteristic for the general state of Russian society. It is defined as a state of “split consciousness”: three-quarters (72%) of respondents claim that their fellow citizens obey the law in all or most of the cases. At the same time, more than half (57%) of those surveyed are confident that a Russian citizen will definitely or most likely break the law for his or her benefit, in case there is no punishment.
An absolute majority (92%) of Russians claim that the law must be obeyed always or in most of the cases. At the same time, the majority (61%) believe that the truth has precedence over the law and it should be followed first and foremost.
