BERLIN (dpa-AFX) – According to a survey, the majority of Germans believe that US President Donald Trump’s policies endanger the continued existence of NATO. 78 percent of those surveyed agree with this assessment, 18 percent do not believe it. This emerges from the current ZDF “Politbarometer”. The rest of the respondents answered “don’t know.”
US President Donald Trump wants to annex the huge resource-rich Greenland to the USA. The island is largely autonomous and is part of the territory of NATO member Denmark. If one NATO country attacks another, then everything stops, Denmark’s head of government Mette Frederiksen said. At the beginning of January, US forces in Venezuela captured the authoritarian head of state Nicolás Maduro and took him out of the country. Trump had previously claimed revenue from Venezuelan oil exports.
If the USA uses military means to intervene in the politics of other countries in violation of international law in order to secure economic resources there, the majority of those surveyed in the survey are in favor of the European Union opposing it. The EU should therefore take a position against it for a majority of 69 percent. 22 percent of those surveyed are in favor of Brussels staying out of it and 5 percent are in favor of the EU supporting the US’s actions.
Opinion on possible US intervention in Iran divided
Respondents are divided on the current developments surrounding the latest wave of protests in Iran against the country’s authoritarian leadership: 37 percent of Germans would like the USA to intervene in Iran to bring about an end to the current leadership. Just as many (37 percent) reject such an intervention, 13 percent would not care. After the mass protests began in Iran, Trump repeatedly threatened Tehran with intervention.
Opinion is similarly divided on the question of using the Bundeswehr in Ukraine: If there is a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine and this is secured by European troops, then, according to 49 percent of those surveyed, Germany should also participate in this security with the Bundeswehr on Ukrainian territory.
Almost as many (45 percent) are against such use. According to the information in the “Politbarometer”, there are clear differences in attitudes between West and East: While in West Germany 53 percent are in favor of the Bundeswehr securing a ceasefire in Ukraine, in East Germany the figure is only 32 percent.
According to the Elections Research Group, the survey is representative of those eligible to vote in Germany. 1,245 people were surveyed between January 13th and 15th./vee/DP/jha