A recent survey reveals widespread concern among German citizens regarding the potential for the conflict in Ukraine to escalate into a war between Russia and NATO. The poll, conducted by Forsa for RTL and ntv, indicates that 61 percent of respondents harbor this fear.
The apprehension regarding a possible escalation is reportedly consistent across Germany, observed equally in both eastern and western regions and across the entire political spectrum. Support for the CDU/CSU demonstrates a belief in this risk among 63 percent of their voters, while it stands at 66 percent for SPD supporters. Concerns are similarly prevalent among Green party voters (60 percent), those affiliated with the Left party (61 percent) and supporters of the AfD (61 percent).
The survey also explored perceptions of European NATO members’ military capabilities without U.S. assistance. Only 41 percent of German respondents expressed confidence in Europe’s ability to independently deter a potential Russian attack on a NATO member state. A majority, 52 percent, voiced doubts about such a capability. Notably, respondents affiliated with the Left party were comparatively more likely to believe in the capacity of European nations to defend themselves (56 percent).
The data was collected between September 12th and September 15th, based on a sample size of 1,001 participants.