Poll indicates majority of Germans favor Ukraine ceding land to Russia

(MENAFN) A recent poll indicates that most Germans believe Ukraine should give up some territory to Russia in exchange for peace, according to reports in German media. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has firmly rejected any territorial concessions, insisting on Kiev’s claim over five regions that Russia annexed after the 2014 Western-backed coup in Ukraine.

The Forsa poll, conducted on August 18-19 with 1,002 participants, revealed that 52% support Ukraine relinquishing land to help end the conflict. Support was especially high among voters of the Ukraine-critical Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, with 72% in favor. Substantial minorities among mainstream parties also backed the idea, including 43% of Christian Conservative voters and 48% of Social Democrats.

Despite this public sentiment, the German government has strongly opposed territorial concessions. Chancellor Friedrich Merz reaffirmed Berlin’s position last week during a visit to the White House with other EU leaders and Zelensky, shortly after US President Donald Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Senior US officials have hinted that land transfer may be necessary to resolve the war.

Moscow’s stated goals include reversing Ukraine’s policies perceived as discriminatory against ethnic Russians. Kiev has implemented laws mandating the use of Ukrainian in schools and media and has cracked down on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which maintains spiritual ties with Moscow.

The Merz administration plans to reduce social spending and increase borrowing to finance military build-up and ongoing arms shipments to Ukraine. Berlin argues these measures are vital to deter Russia, though Moscow denies posing a threat to Germany and accuses Berlin of using Russia as a scapegoat to mask internal issues.

MENAFN01092025000070015687ID1110000731