Berlin: Russian President Vladimir Putin's annexation of Crimea has found supporters in an unlikely country: A November 23 opinion poll in Germany found that nearly 40 per cent of the country's population accept the move.

The surprising result has stirred debate in Germany, prompting some to ask: Is Germany Russia's closest ally in the West?

The opinion poll was conducted by Infratest dimap, a well-regarded German institute that interviewed 1000 Germans above the age of 14. It also determined that 43 per cent of Germans do not feel immediately threatened by Russia's foreign policy. Nevertheless, an Infratest dimap survey conducted in August found that 80 per cent of Germans blamed Putin for the escalating conflict in eastern Ukraine.

So the more recent poll could indicate that Germans want to stop Putin from pursuing his strategy in eastern Ukraine but believe the West also needs to make a concession - by officially accepting the Russian annexation of Crimea.

Germans have grown increasingly critical of the West. After trust in the United States suffered during the Iraq war, the National Security Agency spying scandal provoked new anger and provided arguments to those who wanted to position Germany as a negotiator between Russia and the West, rather than as a strong US ally.

Washington Post