MOSCOW--Anti-American sentiment is on the rise in Russia, hitting the highest level in almost 15 years, a poll published Thursday shows.

Russia's leading pollster Leveda Center said 71% of the respondents asked in May said they have a negative or somewhat negative attitude to the U.S.

Russia's state officials and state media blame the U.S. and to a lesser extend the EU for stirring the crisis in Ukraine, resulting in a sharp rise in anti-American attitude.

Only 38% of the polled saw the U.S. as a non-friendly power a year ago, and the share rose to 44% in January, to 56% in early March, to 61% later in the same month.

The current level is way above the 60% reached early 2009 after Russia's war with Georgia, when the state media blamed the West for meddling into the conflict.