KIEV, March 12. /TASS/. The number of Ukrainians that positively or very positively view Russia increased by 9% in February, up to 57%, according to a poll carried out by the Kiev International Institute of Sociology.

"In February 2019, 57% of Ukrainians in Ukraine were positively or very positively inclined toward Russia, while 27% thought poorly or very poorly of it, 17% did not have a clear position; 77% Ukrainians positively treated Russian citizens, and 13% Russia’s authorities," the poll says.

That said, Russians treat Ukrainians better than Ukrainians treat Russians (82% of Russians positively treat Ukrainians, 7% of Russians are positive about Ukraine’s authorities).

Sociologists found that almost 90% of the population believe that Ukraine should be an independent state. That said, compared with February 2018, the number of those wishing to close the border with Russia decreased from 44% to 39%, and the number of those wishing for independent relations, without borders and customs, grew from 44% to 48%.