BERLIN, July 16. /TASS/. Almost half Germans, or 47%, believe that the planned deployment of US missiles in Germany will increase the risk of a military clash between NATO and Russia, according to a poll by Forsa.

The poll, which was commissioned by the Stern magazine, showed that the idea is mostly opposed by supporters of the opposition parties Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht - Reason and Justice (90%) and Alternative for Germany (65%). Only 17% of the poll participants believe that the deployment would bolster the country's security.

The Forsa poll was conducted on July 11 among 1,000 people. The margin of error wasn’t reported.

On July 10, the White House said the US will begin deploying new firepower in Germany in 2026, which will have the longest range than anywhere else in Europe. Russian Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov said these plans increase the likelihood of a missile arms race and could lead to uncontrolled escalation.