Only 1 in 10 Europeans See the US as an "Ally"... Trust Plummets

Survey of Nearly 19,000 People in 15 European Countries
Perception of U.S. as an Ally Drops from 22% to 16% to 11%
"Neighboring European Countries Will Help in a Crisis" Prevails

A recent survey has found that only 1 in 10 Europeans consider the United States an ally. Related responses were cut in half, dropping from 22% in November last year to 11% recently.

The European Union (EU) flag is displayed in front of the headquarters of the EU Commission in Brussels, Belgium. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

According to Yonhap News Agency, citing the UK daily The Guardian on June 10 (local time), the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) conducted a poll last month of 19,481 adults across 15 European countries, revealing these results.

On average, only 11% of respondents viewed the United States as an ally. This marks a clear downward trend compared to 22% in November last year and 16% six months ago. About half of the respondents regarded the United States as a "necessary partner," while 13% saw it as a "competitor," and 12% as a "hostile nation."

Few respondents believed that the United States would come to their country's aid in a crisis. In all countries surveyed, less than 50% felt certain that the U.S. would help if their country was attacked. The numbers were particularly low in Spain (12%) and Austria (15%).

In contrast, trust in other European countries was relatively high. In every country except Bulgaria (43%), more than 50% believed that at least some European countries would come to their aid.

Support for increasing national defense spending is also on the rise. The proportion of respondents in favor of boosting their country’s defense budget rose from 18% in November last year to 22%. Additionally, 47% supported the idea of the European Union issuing joint bonds to raise funds for defense spending.

However, respondents did not believe that the relationship between the United States and Europe has completely broken down. In 14 out of the 15 countries surveyed (excluding Bulgaria), most respondents said they expected relations to improve again if U.S. President Donald Trump leaves office.

Yana Kobzova, Senior Policy Fellow at the ECFR and co-author of the report, analyzed, “The survey confirms a growing perception across Europe that dependency on the United States should be reduced.” She added, “Europeans are increasingly open to raising defense spending, and display a remarkably high level of trust that neighboring countries will support them in times of crisis.”

This survey was conducted in 15 European countries: the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Bulgaria, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, Estonia, Austria, the United Kingdom, Italy, Portugal, Poland, France, and Hungary.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.