Nearly half of Germans now regard Russia as a military threat to their country, according to a new YouGov survey conducted for the German Press Agency amid continued hostilities in Ukraine and heightened tensions with Moscow.

The poll found that 49% of Germans feel varying degrees of concern about Russia’s military threat. Specifically, 13% believe the threat is “very significant,” while 36% describe it as a “significant” concern. Conversely, 30% see the threat as limited, and 14% believe Russia poses no threat at all.

Political Divide on Russia

The results highlight stark divisions along political lines. Supporters of Germany’s governing coalition — the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the Social Democratic Party (SPD), and the Greens — are more likely to view Russia as a significant threat. However, about one-third of these supporters do not see Russia as a serious danger.

By contrast, 66% of those backing the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party do not believe Russia poses a real military threat, while just 29% consider it a danger. Similarly, 51% of supporters of the new populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, which has no parliamentary representation, see no threat from Russia. The left-wing Die Linke party’s supporters are split, with 48% considering Russia a threat and the remainder not.

Berlin Increases Defence Spending in Response

The findings come as Berlin ramps up its defence spending to counter what it describes as a growing Russian threat. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, a member of the SPD, defended the increased budget, stating: “This course of action is the right response to a threat we all see daily — a Russia waging a war of aggression against Ukraine for three and a half years. Russia is an aggressive state with imperial ambitions.”