A new poll shows the number of Russians who view the United States and European Union favorably has dramatically increased since May.

The poll, released on August 2 by the independent Russian pollster Levada Center, says 39 percent of respondents described their impressions of the United States as "mainly good," while in May this year that number was 18 percent.

Also, the number of Russians who described their impressions of America as "very bad" dropped from 29 percent in May to 12 percent, the poll shows.

Russians' view of the EU has improved as well, according to the Levada poll.

Forty-two percent of the participants in the poll said they have a "very good" or "good" impression of the EU, compared to 28 percent in May.

The number of those who had a "bad" or "very bad" impression of the 28-member bloc dropped from 55 percent in May to 33 percent in July.

Sixty-eight percent of respondents said they support a dramatic improvement in Russia's ties with the West, up from 58 percent in March, while 21 percent were in favor of isolation and confrontation with the West -- down from 30 percent in March.

Some 1,600 people in 136 towns and cities across Russia's 52 regions participated in the July 19-25 poll.