A recent survey indicates a significant portion of the German population harbors doubts regarding the reliability of the United States’ commitment to NATO in the event of a Russian attack. Conducted by Forsa and commissioned by “Stern” magazine, the poll reveals that 45% of German respondents question whether a potential return of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency would guarantee adherence to NATO’s mutual defense obligation.
Conversely, 41% expressed confidence in the enduring strength of the U.S. alliance with European NATO partners. The remaining 14% offered no opinion. The survey’s findings emerge after Trump recently reaffirmed the U.S.’s commitment to the alliance following assurances from member states to increase defense spending to five percent of their Gross Domestic Product by 2035.
The skepticism surrounding U.S. reliability is particularly pronounced among supporters of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), with 52% voicing concerns and even more so amongst supporters of the Left party (60%). Conversely, a majority of supporters of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Alternative for Germany (AfD) indicated trust in the U.S.’s continued commitment.
Notably, a regional divide exists within Germany. In West Germany, 42% believe the U.S. would fulfill its obligations even under a Trump administration, compared to only 29% in East Germany.
The data was collected through telephone interviews conducted by Forsa between June 4th and 5th, surveying a representative sample of 1,001 German citizens for “Stern” and RTL Deutschland.
