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But only 26 percent of Britons, 20 percent of French and Spanish respondents, 14 percent of Germans, and just 7 percent of Italians favored raising their own taxes for this.
Furthermore, while Europeans say they think Ukraine is not getting enough aid, few back boosting their own aid levels.
Blow Up
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. As the conflict drags on, European leaders from Germany, France, and the UK, who were warned by U.S. President Donald Trump to increase military funding, have for the past year increasingly been on a war footing.
Rearmament
After the row, European leaders reaffirmed and accelerated their vow to rearm the bloc.
On March 4, the European Commission proposed to borrow up to 150 billion euros ($157.76 billion) to lend to EU governments under a rearmament plan.
The poll said that in terms of public attitudes to national defense spending, Britain is the only country with a majority—46 percent—that thinks it is too low. In France, it’s 39 percent, Spain 32 percent, and Italy only 11 percent.
European Army
Zelenskyy has called on Europe to create an army in response to Russia’s military build-up.
In Britain, 43 percent back an integrated European army versus 30 percent who oppose it. Germans are also more supportive of a European army, with 63 percent now in favor, up from 52 percent before the start of the war.
The YouGov poll also found that one-third of Spaniards and Britons believe European and other Western countries would be able to provide enough support to Ukraine to enable it to keep defending itself. Only 25 percent believe so in France, Germany, and Italy.
In terms of sending peacekeepers to Ukraine, the Spanish (53 percent), British (52 percent), and French (49 percent) are more willing, while Germans and Italians less so (45–47 percent)
Most Britons (62 percent) and Spaniards (57 percent) believe Ukraine should be allowed to join the military alliance NATO, but other Europeans are much less willing, with just 36–38 percent in favor in France, Germany, and Italy.
In Germany, 46 percent actively oppose allowing Ukraine to join NATO.
The war has also brought up the conscription debate.
Divided Issue
Furedi said there is broad but “passive” support for Ukraine
“It’s a very divided issue as well because there’s a layer of people who are pro-war, pro-Ukraine, and there’s a layer of people that are really hostile to that. So I would say that for the leaders, they’re going to have to bear that in mind.”
“But you have to remember that a lot of what the different prime ministers and government leaders are doing is very performative,” he said.
On changing attitudes after the Trump/Zelenskyy White House argument, he said that whenever a “foreign power appears to be dictating to you, you promote public opinion.”
However, he said that at the same time, some people who felt uncomfortable with what’s been going on felt “much more able to criticize Zelenskyy and argue for an end to the war.”