Nearly Half Of Germans Are Worried Trump Could Cause World War 3

Nearly half of Germans are worried that a Donald Trump administration could lead to a third world war, according to a new poll. Germans and other western Europeans were not rooting for Trump to win and now he is preparing to take over the White House, expectations are low.

A poll carried out by YouGov and the Huffington Post‘s German edition found that 47 percent of Germans are worried about a potential world war. Fear of World War 3 has been a common feature since the beginning of the Cold War but the threat of global conflict is greater than it has been in years.

Respondents between the ages of 18 and 29 are the most worried about a new world war. Forty-eight percent of this group say they are concerned. While the survey shows many Germans are worried about a global war anyway, 42 percent said Donald Trump’s election makes a war more likely.

Trump has repeatedly praised Russian President Vladimir Putin and pledged he would work with the former KGB agent. Germany sees Russia as threat to peace and a danger to the stability of the European Union and the NATO common defense pact. Trump’s criticism of NATO has also caused concern in Europe.

Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel and her ruling Christian Democrat-Social Democrat coalition government is committed to resisting Russia’s aggressive behavior in Ukraine and Eastern Europe. If Trump’s pro-Russian rhetoric translates into policy, Germany could be faced with serious problems.