A third of Germans say Ukraine should never join the EU, poll finds

Nearly one-third of respondents in Germany believe Ukraine should never become a member of the European Union, while fewer than 15% support the country joining immediately, according to a poll published by the Brussels-based Politico portal.

The survey also found that a quarter of respondents in France and 14% in Spain opposed Ukraine ever joining the bloc. Views differed for Montenegro. Some 22.5% of respondents in France, 20% in Germany and 10% in Spain said Montenegro should never become an EU member. Immediate membership was supported by 17% in Spain and 10% in both Germany and France.

For Albania, immediate membership received support from 15% of respondents in Spain, 10% in France and 9% in Germany. The share saying Albania should never join stood at 13% in Spain, 26.5% in France and 29% in Germany.

Across the three candidate countries, between 14% and 28% of respondents, depending on the country and candidate, said membership should happen within the next 10 years. Politico Poll and Public First conducted the survey in mid-June, questioning more than 2,000 people in each of France, Spain, Germany, the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.