Russian trust in Putin plunges to 39 per cent
[ad_1] MOSCOW: Trust in President Vladimir Putin has plunged to 39 per cent among ordinary Russians, according to an opinion poll published Monday amid popular discontent over pension reforms. It is the lowest rating for Putin since 2014, before he enjoyed a surge in popularity over the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine . The survey by the independent Levada Centre found that trust in Putin has fallen nine percentage points since June and a total of 20 percentage points since November 2017. Thirteen percent of Russians said they did not trust him, according to the latest poll carried out between September 20 and 26. The veteran Russian leader last week signed into law a bill that will gradually increase the state retirement age to 60 for women and 65 for men, the first such increase since the 1930s. Most ordinary Russians are deeply opposed to the reforms, which sparked rare street protests. "People think the government is trying to solve its problems at the public's expense....