Supporters of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) advocate for reducing aid to Ukraine.
For the third year of Ukraine's conflict with Russia, approximately 42% of Germans are content with the current level of assistance to the affected country. Around 24% wish to provide more aid, whereas 29% believe Germany is already offering excessive aid. This year's budget for aid totals roughly eight billion euros. The entire sum was allocated earlier in the summer. In contrast, the proposed budget for 2025 is around four billion euros, according to the traffic light coalition's plans.
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion almost three years ago, there have been significant shifts in German public opinion regarding aid to Ukraine. Initially, 38% were highly critical, corresponding to the period when political debates centered on allowing the Netherlands to aid with German-produced tank howitzers.
Later in 2022, a strong discussion emerged in Germany about potential Leopard II tank deliveries to support a Ukrainian offensive. During this phase, approval ratings for German aid reached an all-time high of 50%, with half of the German population supporting it. However, this favorable sentiment did not endure and has since fluctuated.
Currently, dissatisfaction with the federal government's Ukraine policy is particularly prevalent in the eastern parts of Germany. 41% would prefer less aid, while 20% advocate for more assistance. Notably, in the western regions, 24% support enhanced efforts to help the beleaguered Eastern Europeans, with 27% thinking the aid is excessive. In contrast, 44% of westerners and 36% of easterners are content with the present level of support.
majority of supporters for the traffic light parties (SPD: 63%, Greens: 48%, FDP: 47%) are satisfied with the Ukraine policy. Even Union supporters, with 51%, generally support the aid policy. However, supporters of AfD and BSW are most critical of aid to the war-torn country, with 80% of AfD supporters believing Germany is offering excessive aid, and 69% of BSW supporters concurring.
Data was obtained by Forsa, a market and opinion research institute, on behalf of RTL Germany on October 4 and 7. The sample size was 1000 respondents, with a statistical margin of error of plus/minus 3 percentage points.
For more information about Forsa, click here.Forsa polls commissioned by RTL Germany.
The following table could provide additional insights into the public opinion towards Germany's aid to Ukraine, breaking down the sentiments by region and political affiliations. The table shows the data for the same period as the provided statistics, providing a more comprehensive view.
Moreover, analyzing the trends in the table might reveal whether the major shifts in public opinion, as mentioned in the text, are reflected in the distrubution of sentiments.
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