Georgia for McCain, Ukraine for Obama

As Americans choose their 44th President, discussions on just who should take the seat of power in the White House have spread far beyond the country itself. Polls conducted in the former Soviet states of the CIS show the people are divided over who they

A public survey conducted in the eight largest Russian cities found that roughly every fourth respondent wanted democratic candidate Barack Obama to win the vote.

But with nearly a third of those questioned in Russia supporting neither candidate, concern seems less about who wins, and more about what effect they'll have on relations between the countries.

Georgia for McCain

According to the Economist, only a few countries are prepared to throw their support behind John McCain, including Georgia.

Since the Rose revolution in 2003, Georgia has taken an official pro-western policy. McCain personally visited in 2006 to inspect the course of social and economic reforms in the country.

According to doctor Archil M. Gegeshidze – a senior fellow at the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies – it's not the colour of McCain's skin nor his visit to Georgia that makes him popular among the locals – but his hard-line policy towards Russia.

After Russia's support of South Ossetian and Abkhazian independence, most Georgians seem to support Mr McCain for his tough policy towards Moscow.

Ukraine for Obama

The Orange Revolution in 2004 saw Ukraine become another ex-Soviet state where the President, Viktor Yushchenko, also looks West, pushing the country to join NATO and the European Union.

But Ukranians seem to be more in favour of Barack Obama, hoping he would help resolve the global economic crisis and follow a peaceful foreign policy.