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Nato and USA flags in Brussels
Photo: YVES HERMAN/ REUTERS
A clear majority of Germans now perceive Russia as by far the greatest threat to peace in the world.
This emerges from a survey by the opinion research institute Allensbach.
Accordingly, 82 percent of the participants regard the country, which has been waging a war of aggression against neighboring Ukraine for almost a year, as the greatest threat.
The war apparently has a massive impact on the public perception of Russia in this country.
In 2021, only 32 percent of the population aged 16 and over perceived Russia as the greatest threat.
However, the views of East and West differ significantly as to which states Germany relies on and whether one should assist others in the event of an attack.
East Germans are more critical of the NATO alliance commitment
For example, the willingness to contribute to the defense of another NATO member state in accordance with the NATO alliance obligation in an emergency is significantly less pronounced in the East than in the West.
48 percent of Germans in the west think Germany should take part in such a military operation.
In the east of the country, only 30 percent of those surveyed thought this was correct.
Overall, however, the question of German military assistance does not provide a clear picture.
Nationwide, 45 percent of the population were in favor of Germany fulfilling its NATO obligations in such a case.
35 percent of those surveyed said it would be better to »keep out«.
One in five was undecided on the question.
Less confidence in the US, China as a new threat?
There are also clear differences in the perception of what is probably the most important western military partner.
According to this, only about one in four people in the East considers the USA to be a reliable ally (26 percent) – in the old federal states, on the other hand, it is one in two (50 percent).
China is also increasingly perceived as a threat among all respondents.
60 percent perceived the most populous country in the world as by far the greatest threat to peace in the world.
In 2021 it was still 46 percent of the participants.
North Korea, on the other hand, is no longer perceived as a threat.
52 percent of the population consider the regime in Pyongyang to be a threat to global peace (previously 58 percent).
In January of this year, 1023 people were interviewed personally for the survey.
fek/dpa