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Majority of Germans 'in favour' of delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine

The Local (news@thelocal.com)
The Local ([email protected])
Majority of Germans 'in favour' of delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine
A Leopard 2 A7V main battle tank from the German Army's Lehrbataillon 93 drives during a combat reconnaissance exercise at the training area. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Philipp Schulze

55 percent of respondents in a poll by ARD’s morning news programme said they were in favour of Germany supplying weapons such as tanks and fighter jets.

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According to the latest DeutschlandTrend survey, 55 percent of German citizens support the supply of heavy weapons to Ukraine, while 37 percent are against it. 

The poll - a monthly survey of political sentiment for ARD and die Welt - also shows that supporters of the Greens, SPD, FDP and CDU/CSU are overwhelmingly in favour of the arms deliveries, while the majority of AfD voters are against them.

READ ALSO: Zeitenwende: How war in Ukraine has sparked a historic shift in Germany

The question of whether to supply Ukraine with heavier weapons – primarily battle tanks - is currently a thorny issue for politicians. 

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has spoken out in favour of increased military support, while Chancellor Scholz has so far publicly insisted that Germany is still weighing up whether to deliver such weapons to Ukraine.

He is, however, coming under increasing pressure to change course on this issue. A visit by three leading cross-party parliamentarians to Lviv in Ukraine earlier in the week revealed that Ukrainians are holding out hope for heavier weapons from Germany to help defend their country from escalating Russian attacks.

READ ALSO: Pressure grows on Scholz as German delegation visits Ukraine

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Which weapons have Germany already supplied?

According to information provided by German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht, by the end of March weapons and other military material worth more than 80 million euros had been delivered to Ukraine since the start of the war. 

Among them are light tank and anti-aircraft weapons, machine guns, ammunition, vehicles and material for medical care. 

Ukraine has also purchased weapons directly from the German arms industry at its own expense. 

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