A new survey revealed widespread concern among Germans about potential Russian aggression beyond Ukraine.
Two-thirds of Germans fear Russia could attack other European countries, according to the Deutschlandtrend poll conducted by infratest dimap for public broadcaster ARD and newspaper Die Welt, released on 3 April.
European intelligence agencies have increasingly warned a significant escalation in Russian military threats to European countries over several months, highlighted by a surge in hybrid warfare activities, including sabotage and cyberattacks, which have expanded geographically across Europe. The Baltic states have also warned about increased Russian military activities along their borders.
Nearly eight out of ten respondents worry that NATO partners cannot currently rely on protection from the United States.
The survey also found economic concerns. Seven out of ten Germans fear damage to the German economy due to a “trade war” with the United States,” the poll indicated. A similar proportion supports increasing tariffs on American products in response to President Donald Trump’s policies.
Meanwhile, Friedrich Merz, the likely future German chancellor, continues to lose popularity amid ongoing coalition government formation talks. Only 25 percent of respondents view his performance positively – a five percent decrease from the previous poll.
The survey was conducted between 31 March and 2 April among 1,334 German citizens with voting rights.
In 2022 and 2023, surveys among Europeans also revealed concerns about Russia’s actions. A poll showed that 90% of Polish respondents saw Russia as a major military threat to its neighbors, compared to 33% in Hungary.
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