Despite German leadership emerging as one of the top financial and military proponents of the Ukraine War, the public appears unconvinced that this is a conflict worth fighting, according to a recent poll.

A newly released YouGov poll found that just 27 percent of Germans polled said they would support NATO offering Kyiv full membership, which would mean protection under Article 5 of the charter. There needs to be unanimous consent for any new member.

Ukraine’s bid to join the alliance has been a contentious issue among members, which is problematic for Ukraine given that the decision needs to be unanimous. Sweden, for example, has been blocked by Turkey and Hungary.

Jens Stoltenberg, the NATO head, has said Ukraine will eventually become a member, but did not give a timeframe. (See “NATO’S STOLTENBERG VOWS TO SUPPORT UKRAINE UNTIL VICTORY OVER RUSSIA” 25 Apr 2023, “UKRAINE’S ACCEPTANCE IN NATO WOULD ASSURE WWIII AND BE ‘CATASTROPHIC’ FOR MANKIND” 18 Oct 2022, and “UKRAINE: ZELENSKY TRIES TO JOIN NATO AGAIN AND MAKE WWIII OFFICIAL” 30 Sep 2022.)

The poll found that 55 percent of Germans want negotiations to begin between Russia and Ukraine to bring peace to the country, while 28 percent of those polled are opposed to these discussions.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin on Sunday and he tweeted out to thank Germany for its military aid since the start of the war. He said these weapons—which include air defense systems, artillery, tanks, and infantry fighting vehicles—are “saving Ukrainian lives and bringing us closer to victory.”

Scholz, once again, said Germany will support Ukraine for “as long as it takes” and wants Russia to be held accountable “for its misdeeds.”

Berlin announced a day earlier that it will provide Ukraine with another 2.7 billion euros in weapons, which is the largest package since the start of the war, Al Jazeera reported. 

The report, citing Der Spiegel, said the package will include 30 Leopard 1 A5 tanks, 20 Marder armored personnel carriers, more than 100 combat vehicles, 18 self-propelled Howitzers, 200 reconnaissance drones, four IRIS-T SLM anti-aircraft systems, and other air defense equipment.

TRENDPOST: With inflation sharply rising and their economy weakening, Germans want less money going to the war machine and more money for its citizens. They have expressed apprehension as Berlin has followed the U.S. blindly into war with Russia. Back in February, about two-thirds of Germans said they were opposed to Germany providing Ukraine with fighter jets. 

Western countries have expressed doubt that fourth-generation fighters, like the F-16, would be an effective tool for Ukraine against Russia. Moscow has advanced air defenses that could down these jets and Ukraine does not have many airfields that can support these fighters. Russia could easily bomb runways and render these planes useless.