"In the poll, 26.2% said that, before the gas conflict, they had a good attitude towards Russia but it worsened after the dispute," Yury Ruban, head of the National Institute for Strategic Studies, told a Friday news conference in Kyiv. Meanwhile, "41.7% continued to hold the same good attitude towards Russia, while 9.4% remained undecided," he said. The poll was taken on January 15 in eight regional capitals where 8,000 persons were interviewed on the streets. In Ruban's opinion, the poll indicates that Ukrainians support the efforts of the authorities to settle the gas dispute but not the radical actions some political forces suggest. Asked about the main reason for the gas conflict, 29.9% said it was Russia's desire to influence the outcome of future parliamentary elections in Ukraine. PIN/INTEFAX