German public opinion on Vladimir Putin’s stance in the Ukraine war has not changed since Russia’s invasion in the spring of 2022, according to a Forsa survey commissioned by the German magazine “Stern”.
Only a fifth of the German public, 22 percent, still believe that the Russian president is genuinely interested in ending the war through a negotiated solution. Three quarters of the respondents, 73 percent, instead think that Putin is solely focused on a military victory in Ukraine.
While half of the respondents, 56 percent, think it would be a good idea for German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to try to find a way to end the war by talking to Putin in the near future, 42 percent do not see much sense in such a conversation. The survey found that the majority of Social Democratic Party supporters, as well as those from the Left and the Alternative for Germany, are in favor of the attempt, whereas the majority of Union and Green party supporters are skeptical.
The debate comes at a sensitive time, as NATO member states are currently discussing a new investment goal of five percent of their economic output in defense spending, to be decided at the upcoming NATO summit at the end of the month. The German Social Democratic Party is also set to hold its party convention at the end of June, where intense discussions over the party’s program are expected.