Donald Trump, a bigger problem than Turkey, Russia and North Korea: Germans

Germans see US President Donald Trump as a bigger challenge for German foreign policy than authoritarian leaders in North Korea, Russia or Turkey, according to a new survey.

Topping the list of foreign policy concerns were refugees, with 26 per cent of respondents worried about Germany's ability to cope with inflows of asylum seekers.

Relations with Trump and the United States ranked second, with 19 per cent describing them as a major challenge, followed by Turkey at 17 per cent, North Korea at 10 per cent and Russia at eight per cent.

Since entering the White House in January, Trump has unsettled Germans by pulling out of the Paris climate accord, refusing to certify an international agreement on Iran's nuclear program and criticising Germany's trade surplus and its contributions to the NATO military alliance.

Trump's actions prompted the usually cautious German Chancellor Angela Merkel to say earlier this year that Berlin may not be able to rely on the US in the future and also urged Europe to take its fate into its own hands.

In the Koerber Foundation poll of 1,005 Germans of voting age, 56 per cent of Germans described the relationship with the United States as bad or very bad.

Despite Merkel's pledge, the survey showed deep scepticism in the population about Germany taking a more active role in international crises, with 52 per cent of respondents saying the country should continue its post-war policy of restraint.