A recent survey has revealed that the majority of people in Germany are afraid of a third world war. At the same time, Germans largely supported the decision to send arms to Ukraine.
The Forsa survey, commissioned by RTL and ntv, revealed that 69 percent of Germans fear that NATO will be pulled into the war between Russia and Ukraine. Such a situation could potentially arise if Russia attacks a member of the Western Alliance, such as one of the Baltic countries like Latvia or Estonia.
On the other hand, 25 percent of respondents indicated they were not concerned about this situation arising. AfD supporters were particularly nonchalant, with 48 percent of AfD voters revealing that they were convinced there would be no world war.
At the same time, in light of recent developments, 78 percent of respondents said they supported Germany sending arms to Ukraine. 78 percent of people also indicated their support for the rearmament of the Bundeswehr. However, only half of the respondents said they would welcome Ukraine’s admission to the EU, with only a minority (45 percent) indicating their support for Ukraine joining NATO. The eastern German states were particularly sceptical about this, with 55 percent of respondents from these states against Ukraine joining the Western Alliance.
The Chairperson of the World Medical Association Council, Dr Frank Ulrich Montgomery, has told the public to support those in the German population who might be struggling with their fears. "It's important to take people who are afraid of war seriously and not downplay their feelings," he said. “The fear of nuclear war is not a completely unreal fear. That's why it's no use just coming up with rational counterarguments."
Montgomery warned that, especially amongst the elderly, people’s fears can cause distress. "Especially in the older generation, it can now happen that people react traumatically to the war news, that they experience increased fears, withdraw and, for example, start stashing food," he said. He advised that anyone who is suffering from the fear of war seek the support of their friends and family or, if needed, to visit a doctor or contact a psychologist.