Survey: The majority of Germans reject Ukraine's accession to the EU

The European Union has given Ukraine the prospect of becoming a member in the future. But the mood among the German population has changed, a new survey shows.

Berlin. Citizens in Germany are distancing themselves from Ukraine's EU membership ambitions. Support for the country attacked by Russia joining the EU fell from 61 percent (March 2022) to 41 percent in June 2026, according to a survey by the Bertelsmann Foundation published on Tuesday. 59 percent reject joining. Only in Romania is the rejection even higher.

“While citizens in Ukraine also see their national resistance as a defense of the EU and want rapid membership, skepticism remains noticeable in the European Union,” it continues. In the current survey, 53 percent of those surveyed in the EU are against granting full membership to Ukraine in the near future.

Public opinion is also divided on the short-term economic burden of adjustments as part of the accession process. While two thirds of Ukrainians say they are willing to shoulder higher costs, almost two thirds of EU citizens reject this.

“Ukraine's precarious financial situation is a challenge for the entire EU, because stability in our large European neighbor is in our common interest,” said Eastern Europe expert Miriam Kosmehl from the Bertelsmann Foundation. The financial requirement for reconstruction alone is now estimated at over 500 billion euros.

In order to meet this need, “a comprehensive mix” of mutually complementary and reinforcing instruments is required: “It is crucial to maintain the support of the population,” warned the expert.

Worry about financial burdens

When asked about the one particular challenge for the EU that Ukraine's accession would bring, 36 percent of Germans cited the financial burden. This means that German citizens are at the forefront of this concern and are well above the EU average of 28 percent.

When it comes to their willingness to shoulder additional costs for joining in the short term, Germans, like people in Belgium and Poland, are reluctant: only 37 percent would be willing to pay additional costs. Only a few Germans expect a strengthened Union through Ukraine's membership: Only 13 percent see the EU as more influential with Ukraine as a new member, and only twelve percent believe in more resilience within the Union.

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