Green supporters want to deliver: Majority rejects main battle tanks for Ukraine

Most Germans don't want to supply battle tanks to Ukraine.

Green supporters want to deliver: Majority rejects main battle tanks for Ukraine

Most Germans don't want to supply battle tanks to Ukraine. Likewise, a majority believes that the strength of the attacked country is not sufficient to push back the Russian troops on a broad front.

Ukraine has been able to recapture some of the areas occupied by the Russian army. Nevertheless, only 26 percent of Germans in the current RTL/ntv trend barometer believe that the Ukrainian army is capable of pushing back Russian troops across a broad front with a broad-based counteroffensive. 61 percent do not believe that Ukraine has the power to do this.

The federal government is often accused of always delivering too late and too few weapons to Ukraine. 31 percent of Germans consider this accusation to be justified. A majority of 60 percent - across all political camps - does not believe this accusation to be justified.

Fifty-three percent of Germans share the fear, expressed by some, that supplying Ukraine with more and heavier weapons would provoke Russia into expanding the war with a new front or using nuclear weapons. 40 percent consider this fear to be unfounded.

The traffic light coalition is discussing whether Germany - as demanded by the Ukrainian government - should also supply modern main battle tanks to the Ukraine in addition to the anti-aircraft tanks it has already delivered. 38 percent of Germans are in favor of the delivery of such battle tanks, 53 percent reject it. Only the supporters of the Greens are in the majority for a delivery of battle tanks with 59 percent.

26 percent of German citizens believe that the European Union should lift some of the sanctions imposed on Russia because of the negative consequences for Germany. 14 percent are in favor of lifting all sanctions again. On the other hand, a majority of 56 percent (6 percentage points less than two weeks ago) thinks that the sanctions imposed on Russia should remain in place.

East Germans (54 percent) are significantly more likely than west Germans (38 percent) to be in favor of lifting some or all of the sanctions. AfD supporters most frequently (87 percent) think that the sanctions against Russia should be partially or fully lifted.

The data was collected by the market and opinion research institute Forsa on behalf of RTL Germany on September 16 and 19, 2022. Database: 1004 respondents. Statistical error tolerance: /- 3 percentage points.

More information about Forsa hereForsa surveys commissioned by RTL Germany