Europeans Reluctant to Raise Taxes for Defense Spending Amid Ukraine-Russia War, Polls Show

German, French, and British leaders are pushing for rearmament, but public support for the hikes needed to fund it remains weak.

Ukrainian servicemen operate an armored military vehicle on a road near the border with Russia, in the Sumy region of Ukraine, on Aug. 14, 2024. Roman Pilipey/AFP via Getty Images

Europe’s enthusiasm for increased taxes to boost defense spending amid the Ukraine-Russia war is low, according to polls.

On March 6, YouGov released a poll asking where Western Europe stood on Ukraine, U.S. President Donald Trump, and national defense.

It found there was limited support for raising taxes to fund extra defense spending.

While political leaders are still ironing out the details, defense budgets are expected to be raised primarily through a combination of debt, taxes, and cuts.

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.

Only 24 percent in Britain, 17 percent in France, 9 percent in Italy, and 18 percent in Spain said their country should increase its support for Ukraine.

This is a slight increase from an earlier December YouGov poll, which also said that Ukraine support does not translate to a willingness to increase aid. Only 11 to 29 percent of countries, including Germany, said the war-ravaged country should receive more support.

“For most people, Ukraine is a war that’s very far away; that’s not really all that much their concern,” Frank Furedi, executive director of the MCC Brussels think tank, told The Epoch Times. “It’s much more of an issue for the elites.”

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.

Last Friday, a meeting between Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House devolved into a heated argument over a peace deal.

Trump, who is seeking to negotiate a quick end to the conflict, accused Zelenskyy of “gambling with World War III.”

The Ukrainian president suggested that while the conflict may not immediately be a problem for the United States, “you will feel it in the future.”

Trump appeared to take offense at that.

“You don’t know that,” he said. “Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel. Because you’re in no position to dictate that.”

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.

“We are living in the most momentous and dangerous of times,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. “We are in an era of rearmament. And Europe is ready to massively boost its defense spending.”

This week, German politicians began enabling a $535 billion defense fund, while the UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer set out plans to increase defense spending to 2.5 percent of national income by 2027.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday said France is open to extending the protection of its nuclear arsenal to its allies.

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.

When it comes to cutting public service budgets to fund extra defense spending, 39 percent of respondents in France support this measure, along with 35 percent in Britain and 33 percent in Spain. Support is lower in Germany (37 percent) and Italy (13 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.

Last year, Germany approved a draft law that requires young men to respond to a survey about their willingness to serve in the German military.

Most people in France (68 percent) and Germany (58 percent) support mandatory military service; Italians and Britons are divided, while a majority of Spaniards (53 percent) are opposed.

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.”

For example, Furedi said that in the recent German elections, the intervention of X and Tesla owner Elon Musk, who backed the right-wing Alternative for Germany) provoked a reaction that was “more negative than positive.”

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.”