Significant Pro-Increase Majority in NATO Target: Support for Strengthening NATO Defense Spending to 5% or More, According to ARD-DeutschlandTREND Poll.
Fresh Take:
United States' push for a beefed-up NATO defense budget has sparked a divided response among Germans. Half of the population (50%) thinks it'd be peachy if NATO member countries increased their defense spending to 5% of their GDP instead of the current 2%. One in ten (7%) believe this goal isn't ambitious enough, while over a third (35%) consider it too pricey. Results come from a poll conducted by infratest dimap among 1,292 eligible voters for ARD-DeutschlandTrend.
Germany's Foreign Minister, Johann Wadephul (CDU), is in favor of this push from US President Donald Trump for a 5% target. A majority in western Germany agrees (54%), while 6% find it insufficient; 31% however, think it's a stretch. Meanwhile, 52% of eastern Germans view the 5% target as excessive, 33% find it reasonable, and 8% believe it's not enough.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz is set to meet with Donald Trump at the White House this Thursday. Germans hold different expectations about this meeting, with 46% expecting Merz to click with Trump, while 44% do not. As for Merz's diplomatic skills, 47% of Germans believe the new Chancellor lacks the savvy for foreign policy challenges, while 40% trust his abilities.
What's interesting is that a significant majority of Germans (73%) don't see the USA as a reliable pal. On the flip side, 18% believe the US to be a trustworthy ally (+2 compared to March). In neighboring France, 83% of Germans view France favorably (-2), while 11% don't. Trust in Ukraine has soared, with 48% seeing it as a trusty partner of Germany (+4), while 40% do not. Trust in Israel has sunk to 16% (-11 compared to October 2024); 71% refuse to consider it a trusty partner. Trust in Russia is minimal, with just 10% viewing it as trustworthy (+/- 0); 84% do not consider Russia a trustworthy partner.
Sources: WDR Communication (04 June 2025)
Picture Credit: NATO logo protective cover at ILA 2016 (c) WDR/dpa/Ralf Hirschberger.
- The debate over the US push for a higher NATO defense budget, particularly the goal of members increasing defense spending to 5% of their GDP, falls under the umbrella of policy-and-legislation and politics, given its focus on defense budgets and foreign relations.
- General news outlets often cover the opinions of the public and government officials on various issues, such as the current split among Germans regarding the proposed 5% NATO defense spending target, making it a relevant topic in the realm of general news.
