Only 1 in 10 Europeans see US as an ally - study
dw.com • • world
Key Points:
- Only 11% of Europeans now consider the United States an ally, a historic low according to a recent European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) survey, down from 22% in November 2024 when Donald Trump won the US presidency.
- The survey reveals growing European self-reliance and skepticism toward the US under Trump's administration, with many doubting that the US would defend Europe if attacked.
- Europeans attribute the decline in trust to Trump's policies, including tariffs on European nations, threats to withdraw from NATO, and disputes such as the US troop withdrawal from Germany and the Greenland controversy.
- While most Europeans support Ukraine in its conflict with Russia, they are cautious about Ukraine joining the EU and hesitant to deploy troops, and they remain opposed to importing Russian fossil fuels despite the energy crisis.
- The survey also shows increased European support for boosting defense spending, backing collective EU borrowing for defense projects, and reducing reliance on US military hardware in favor of European alternatives.