Only 1 in 10 Europeans see US as an ally — study
Europeans' trust in the United States has plummeted since Donald Trump returned to the White House. Most Europeans also don't think the US would help
Europeans' trust in the United States has plummeted since Donald Trump returned to the White House. Most Europeans also don't think the US would help if the continent were attacked. Only 11% of Europeans consider the United States to be an ally, a historic low, according to a survey by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) released on Wednesday. Six months ago, 16% of people across 15 countries in Europe said they viewed the US as an ally, while in November 2024, when Donald Trump won the US presidential election, the figure stood at 22%. The ECFR poll shows Europeans "embrace self-reliance and are clear-eyed about Donald Trump," although they don't expect the relationship to collapse entirely under the weight of the current challenges. A majority of respondents said they did not think the US would come to Europe's defense if it were attacked. The survey was released ahead of Group of 7 (G7) and NATO summits in the coming weeks. The survey's findings demonstrate that Europe's confidence in the Unite States — historically the continent's staunchest backer and partner in defense and security — has plummeted in recent years, particularly since Donald Trump returned to the White House.
A majority of respondents in each country surveyed — except for Bulgaria — said they believe transatlantic relations would improve once Trump leaves office. MSC chair: Trust in trans-Atlantic relations damaged To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Why are Europeans less trusting of the US as a partner? Since the start of his second term, Trump has hit European nations with tariffs, threatened to pull out of NATO due to what he views as insufficient support for the US-Israeli war with Iran and inadequate spending on defense. Trump has also insisted that he wants to take control of Greenland, which is part of Denmark, a member of NATO and the EU. The US last month said it would start withdrawing troops stationed in Germany, amid a dispute between Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who had said the US was being "humiliated" by Iran. At the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, which came at the height of Trump's threats over Greenland, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the breakdown of ties with the US demonstrated the "necessity to build a new form of European independence." The Trump administration views the US' European allies with skepticism [FILE: January 2026] Image: Jonathan Ernst/REUTERS What did the survey say about Ukraine?
The US president has also repeatedly appeared to blame Ukraine for Russia's invasion, and has sought closer ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The survey found that a majority of Europeans support Ukraine but are cautious about it joining the European Union for now and of deploying troops to fight in its war of defense against Russia. On energy, most respondents acknowledged that the continent is facing an energy crisis, but "remain solidly opposed to Russian fossil-fuel imports," the poll said. What else did the survey find? Compared to last year, Europeans were 4% more likely to be in favor of boosting defense spending Nearly half (47%) of the survey's respondents said they would back collective EU borrowing to finance defense projects Respondents support reducing Europe's reliance on US weaponry in favor of European military hardware The poll, conducted in May 2026, surveyed adults in Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. US troop withdrawal: A turning point for Europe?
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