German poll shows support for maintaining or increasing military aid to Ukraine
A German poll found that 63% of respondents favor maintaining or increasing Europe’s military support for Ukraine. Most doubted Vladimir Putin’s willingness to end the war, while 57% believed Donald Trump supported neither side in the conflict.
Key points
- 30% of Germans favor increasing European military support for Ukraine.
- 33% positively assess Europe’s current level of support for Ukraine, while 32% favor reducing military aid.
- 63% support either maintaining or increasing Europe’s military support for Ukraine.
- 79% doubt Vladimir Putin’s willingness to end the war; 16% believe he is genuinely interested in a lasting cessation of hostilities.
- 38% believe Donald Trump sides with Russia, 1% believes he sides with Ukraine, and 57% think he supports neither side.
- Respondents are split over the threat of a Russian attack on eastern NATO countries: 46% see it as a real threat, while 48% do not expect such an attack.
- Support for Ukraine joining the EU declined from 61% in March 2022 to 41% in June 2026.
Why it matters
The findings indicate continued German public support for substantial military assistance to Ukraine despite political competition over the issue. They also show limited confidence in negotiations with Vladimir Putin and deep uncertainty about Donald Trump’s position. Meanwhile, the decline in support for Ukraine’s EU accession points to a weakening of German public backing for a central goal of Ukraine’s European integration.
What happened
The poll by Germany’s Forschungsgruppe Wahlen, conducted for ZDF from October 20 to 22, surveyed 1,225 eligible German voters by phone and online, with a statistical margin of error of about 2–3%. Thirty percent supported increasing European military aid to Ukraine, 33% positively assessed the current level of European support, and 32% favored reducing aid. Overall, 63% supported maintaining or increasing assistance.
The survey also found that 79% doubted Putin’s readiness to end the war, while 16% believed he was genuinely interested in a lasting cessation of hostilities. Views of Trump’s position were divided: 38% considered him aligned with Russia, 1% saw him as supporting Ukraine, and 57% believed he supported neither side. On NATO security, 46% considered a Russian attack on eastern NATO countries a real threat, while 48% did not expect one.
The party projections placed Alternative for Germany first with 26%, ahead of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s CDU/CSU bloc on 23%. Support for Ukraine’s EU membership fell from 61% in March 2022 to 41% in June 2026.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian coverage emphasizes that German public support for military aid to Ukraine remains substantial, while dissatisfaction with Europe’s current level of assistance persists. It also foregrounds widespread skepticism about Russia’s intentions, concerns over NATO security and declining German support for Ukraine’s EU accession.
Background
German respondents were divided over whether European military assistance to Ukraine should be increased, maintained or reduced. Supporters of Alternative for Germany were more likely than the overall German sample to believe Putin was genuinely interested in a lasting cessation of hostilities. The poll projected Alternative for Germany at 26% and the CDU/CSU bloc at 23%.