Who do Russians believe are their closest allies? Their enemies? A new survey by independent pollster the Levada Center attempts to answer these questions. The annual poll is traditionally a good reflection of Russia's geopolitical position as well as the Kremlin's messaging to its people. This year's results offer particular insight. Belarus , Russia's western neighbor, has long held the top friendly spot and does so again in the poll. This year, however, longtime second-place ally, Kazakhstan , was displaced by China. Clearly, Beijing's increasing economic, financial and political ties with Moscow are picking away at decades of mistrust of China by the Russian people. The positive outlook on Russia-Syria ties continues to rise as well. Since 2015, the Kremlin has maintained an extensive state propaganda campaign promoting Russia's patriotic duty to intervene militarily and politically in the war-torn country. It's made an impact.