Majority of Germans want to maintain or increase support for Ukraine
A new ZDF Politbarometer finds that 63 per cent of respondents want European military aid maintained at its current level or expanded.
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A majority of Germans remain in favour of military support for Ukraine. According to the ZDF Politbarometer, 30 per cent of respondents want more aid and 33 per cent want the current level maintained.
The findings come at a time when Germany plays a central role in European support for Ukraine. The country supplies air-defence systems, vehicles and ammunition, among other things, while debate continues in Europe over the scale and duration of that assistance.
In the Forschungsgruppe Wahlen survey, 32 per cent say European military support should be scaled back. The response categories listed do not include all respondents. The percentages for more support and maintaining the current level add up to 63 per cent.
German public opinion varies significantly according to party preference. Among supporters of the Greens and the Christian Democratic parties, support for maintaining or expanding assistance is clearly higher, according to the published breakdown. The same breakdown shows that a large majority of AfD supporters instead want less military support.
There is also a geographical difference. In eastern Germany, support for more or the same amount of aid is lower than in the west. That difference alone does not show that a majority in the east opposes support, or how much political scope there is to continue current policy.
The poll says something about the views of German voters, not about the military effectiveness of arms deliveries or the expected duration of the war. Nor does it automatically show what policy the German government will pursue; that requires budgetary decisions, parliamentary support and consultation with European allies.
The researchers questioned 1,225 eligible voters. The interviews took place in October. Forschungsgruppe Wahlen gives a margin of error of approximately three percentage points for percentages around 40 per cent.
The figures are therefore not an exact measurement of every German and do not show a trend over time without comparison with earlier polls. They do, however, show that support for Ukraine in Germany remains considerable, while the divide between parties and regions remains politically relevant.
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One story, several perspectives
What is established
- According to a ZDF poll, 63 per cent of respondents want European military support for Ukraine maintained or increased.
- 32 per cent want less support.
- Support varies significantly between party supporters and between eastern and western Germany.
Left
Arguments Support for Ukraine is necessary to prevent an aggressive war from being rewarded and to protect European security and Ukraine’s self-determination.
Values International law, solidarity with an attacked country and the protection of democratic institutions.
Consequences Less support could weaken Ukraine’s negotiating position and increase the risk that violence pays; prolonged assistance does, however, require democratic oversight.
Centre
Arguments Europe should continue supporting Ukraine, but link the assistance to clear objectives, joint European decision-making and a credible diplomatic track.
Values European unity, proportionality, budgetary discipline and risk management.
Consequences A stable joint policy could strengthen deterrence, while periodic reviews remain necessary to limit escalation and waste.
Right
Arguments Germany must take its own security seriously, but aid to Ukraine cannot be unlimited and must fit within national defence capacity and financial means.
Values National security, responsibility for taxpayers’ money and restraint in foreign interventions.
Consequences More aid could strain German stocks and budgets; less aid could, in this view, create room to strengthen the country’s own armed forces and apply diplomatic pressure.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The key figures, survey date and sample were confirmed by ZDF and Forschungsgruppe Wahlen. The text presents the political significance as interpretation and does not portray it as a direct consequence of the poll.
- confirmed 30 per cent want more military support for Ukraine and 33 per cent want the current level maintained. — These percentages appear in the ZDF Politbarometer. source
- confirmed 32 per cent want military support scaled back. — Confirmed by ZDF and the research information. source
- confirmed Support varies significantly by party preference and region. — ZDF published breakdowns by party and between eastern and western Germany. source
- confirmed The researchers questioned 1,225 eligible voters and report a margin of error of approximately three percentage points around 40 per cent. — The research design and margin of error are given in the Forschungsgruppe Wahlen notes. source
- confirmed The poll does not automatically determine the German government’s policy. — This is a methodological interpretation: an opinion poll measures views and is not a government decision. source
Editor's note
The percentages and the research design are taken directly from ZDF and Forschungsgruppe Wahlen. The poll measures public opinion and does not itself say anything about the military outcome or desirability of the policy.Sources
- ZDF-Politbarometer Oktober II 2026 — ZDF
- Politbarometer: Deutliche Mehrheit der Deutschen für militärische Ukraine-Hilfen — Sächsische Zeitung
- Aktuelles: Politbarometer Oktober II — Forschungsgruppe Wahlen
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