BERLIN, March 6. /TASS/. Almost 60% of Germans polled oppose the idea of supplying Taurus long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine, according to a YouGov survey commissioned by the DPA news agency.

The poll shows that only 28% of respondents believe that Taurus missiles should be provided to Kiev, while 58% spoke out against such a move. More than half of them (31%) fundamentally oppose providing support for Ukraine by way of German weapons supplies.

According to YouGov polls, the number of those who are against supplying Taurus missiles to Ukraine rose in the past few weeks. As many as 31% of respondents to a February 2-6 survey backed missile supplies, while 49% opposed the idea.

The pollster has also ascertained the attitudes of German citizens toward the potential deployment of German troops to Ukraine and military assistance to Kiev in general. A total of 72% of those surveyed said they opposed sending troops to Ukraine, saying that such a move should be ruled out once and for all, which is what German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has done. Only 16% of respondents believe that the German government needs to keep the option of deploying troops to Ukraine on the table. Another 2% call for immediately sending German troops to the combat zone.

The poll, involving 2,169 respondents, was carried out on March 1-5.

On March 4, the German chancellor reiterated Berlin’s refusal to provide Kiev with Taurus cruise missiles, emphasizing that the handover of such weapons was out of the question as it would require the direct involvement of German military personnel. Scholz has repeatedly highlighted his opposition to supplying the Taurus weapons system to Ukraine, citing the threat it poses of Germany being dragged into the conflict.