Despite the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, only a fifth of Germans consider Russian President Vladimir Putin and his military to be a major threat to their own country. That comes from one survey published by the Körber Foundation on Monday emerged in which 1,088 people were interviewed about foreign policy issues at the beginning of August. According to this, one in four Germans sees no military threat to Germany’s security at all, half of the participants see a minor threat and only 22 percent see a major threat.
The assessment of the Germans differs significantly from that of the Americans. In a partner study by the Pew Research Center with participants from the USA, 66 percent of respondents describe Russia as a major military threat to their own country, i.e. three times the proportion of German respondents. This discrepancy can be explained, among other things, by the fact that attitudes towards Russia are divided in this country, says Sönke Neitzel, professor of military history at the University of Potsdam, when asked by the SZ about the results. “A significant part of the population still thinks the USA is the real enemy.”
The survey also shows that Germans have a differentiated view of their own role in the world. About four out of ten citizens want their country to become more involved in international crises in the future, five out of ten are against it. Six out of ten would like the government to invest more money in its own defense than the 100 billion special fund, and three quarters of those surveyed think the Bundeswehr should be used in conflicts abroad to protect allies. However, 68 percent of the participants reject a military leadership role for Germany in Europe.
Guntram Wolff, director of the Society for Foreign Relations, says this reluctance can also be traced back to the country’s own history and the crimes committed during the Second World War. “Many Germans feel like a larger Switzerland.” Because one is surrounded by friendly nations, security policy issues have long been lost in the public debate. That had an impact on the population. “The Germans look very inward.” However, many nations would now expect Germany to assume a stronger leadership role in the European context.
Another published last week Survey by the Bundeswehr Center for Military History and Social Sciences (ZMSBw) shows how the war in Ukraine affects German foreign policy views. The participants were asked, for example, whether Germany should provide military support to the Baltic states so that they can defend themselves against Russia. In 2021 the approval was still 31 percent, in the current survey it is 53 percent. The Germans are not per se pacifists, says military historian Neitzel. “But they don’t give politicians a blank check, they want concrete reasons.”
Skepticism has increased not only towards Russia, but also towards China. According to the study by the Körber Foundation, around six out of ten Germans see China’s growing influence as negative. Two years ago, this proportion was still 43 percent. In addition, around two-thirds of those surveyed would like Germany to reduce its dependency on China – even if this should lead to economic losses.
The transatlantic relationship, on the other hand, is on the upswing. In 2020, only 18 percent of those surveyed believed that relations between Germany and the United States were “good” or “very good.” After Joe Biden took office, this figure rose to 71 percent, and in the current survey it is even 82 percent . When asked which country is the most important partner for German foreign policy, 36 percent of those surveyed chose the USA and 32 percent of those surveyed chose France.
