Majority of Germans against Ukraine joining NATO: Poll

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A new YouGov poll revealed that a majority of Germans oppose Ukraine joining NATO.

The poll, commissioned by the German agency dpa, was conducted before the Ukrainian President is scheduled to visit Berlin. 

Read more: NATO says aiding Ukraine cost $165Bln in military funding since 2022

According to the study, when questioned about the Ukrainian issue and possible solutions, 55% of respondents said they supported peace talks between Moscow and Kiev, while 28% opposed discussions.

The news agency provided no information on the number of respondents or the specific date of the survey, just stating that it was conducted shortly before Zelensky's scheduled trip to Germany.

Earlier this month, the Berliner Tageszeitung reported, citing an unknown police source, that Zelensky was scheduled to visit Berlin on May 13 and meet with Chancellor Olaf Scholz before traveling to Aachen to receive the Charlemagne Prize.

The disclosure was deemed reckless by the Ukrainian presidential administration. According to German media, the state visit might be canceled due to security concerns.

In September, Zelensky revealed that Ukraine has applied to join NATO on a fast track. Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin Spokesperson, said Moscow was closely following the situation and reminded that Kiev's inclination toward the alliance was one of the grounds for Russia's military operation in Ukraine to begin in February 2022.

Russia sees NATO expansion as a threat, especially that over the years, the Cold War-era alliance expanded eastward, putting Russian interests at risk. 

For Ukraine to join NATO would mean NATO military bases at Russia's doorstep, which led to Moscow's operation in Ukraine in the first place.