52% of Germans say Ukraine should cede Russian-occupied territories for peace, poll shows
A slight majority of Germans believe that Ukraine should be prepared to give up on its Russian-occupied territories for the sake of peace, Die Welt reported on Aug. 27, citing a survey by the Forsa Institute.
The news comes as Russia demands Kyiv to withdraw even from territories Russian forces do not control as a condition for a peace deal.
When asked whether "Ukraine should be prepared to cede occupied territories to Russia if necessary to facilitate a peace agreement," 52% respondents answered positively, Die Welt reported.
The position was most present among supporters of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, with 72% expressing this view. Currently the strongest opposition party in the German parliament, the AfD has consistently criticized Germany's support for Ukraine.
Support for the position was lower among voters of the governing coalition, with 43% of CDU/CSU supporters and 48% of Social Democratic Party (SPD) voters in favor.
Forsa Institute conducted the survey between Aug. 18 and 19 with 1,002 respondents.
Berlin has been a key ally to Ukraine since the start of the full-scale war in 2022, becoming its leading military backer on the European continent.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who took part in a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, President Volodymyr Zelensky, and other European leaders in Washington on Aug. 18, said that Ukraine should not be forced to cede territory.
Russia currently occupies roughly 20% of Ukrainian soil in the east and the south.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who met Trump in Alaska on Aug. 15, has reportedly demanded full control over the eastern Donbas region — comprised of partially occupied Donetsk Oblast and almost fully occupied Luhansk Oblast — as a condition for a peace deal.
While Trump has said that "land swaps" are likely to be part of an eventual peace deal, he stressed that only Kyiv can make decisions about territorial concessions.
Zelensky has repeatedly rejected formally recognizing Russian occupation or ceding additional territory and called for a full ceasefire as a precondition for peace talks and any territorial discussions.
