MOSCOW. Feb 1 (Interfax) - Russians have changed their opinion of any possible enlargement of the unofficial 'club' of nuclear states, a January poll conducted across 46 Russian regions by the All-Russian Center for Public Opinion Studies (VTsIOM) has revealed.

In July 2005 a total of 51% of respondents spoke in favor of 'new nuclear countries,' believing that they have the same rights as the United States, China and Russia, with only 29% claiming that countries seeking nuclear weapons should be isolated and sanctions should be imposed upon them.

However, the January 2006 poll showed that the number of those who support nuclear ambitions of 'third world countries' has decreased significantly. As a result, both opinions enjoy almost equal support - 39% and 36% respectively. A total of 36% of respondents believe that Russia should not participate in the conflict between the West and Iran concerning the Iranian nuclear problem.