Updated · European Council on Foreign Relations · Jun 10
ECFR Poll of 19,481 Finds Europeans Embrace Self-Reliance as Trust in US Falls to 11%
Updated
Updated · European Council on Foreign Relations · Jun 10
ECFR Poll of 19,481 Finds Europeans Embrace Self-Reliance as Trust in US Falls to 11%
3 articles · Updated · European Council on Foreign Relations · Jun 10
Summary
Only 11% of Europeans now see the US as an ally, while 25% view it as a rival or adversary, according to an ECFR poll of 19,481 people across 15 countries.
That erosion in trust is pushing voters toward strategic autonomy: most back higher defence spending, more European arms buying and even common debt for security, though only 29% support replacing NATO with a Europe-only force.
Support for Ukraine still holds, but majorities in key states including Germany, France and Poland oppose sending troops after a peace deal, and there is no continent-wide consensus on bringing Ukraine into the EU now.
On energy, majorities reject renewed Russian fossil-fuel imports despite rising prices and instead favor domestically generated renewables, giving leaders room to pursue energy sovereignty.
The poll suggests Europe’s public is more realist than rupture-minded—expecting ties with Washington to improve after Trump while pressing leaders to act before 2027 elections narrow that political space.
With America's security guarantee in doubt, can Europe truly defend itself alone?
Without the US nuclear umbrella, how is Europe preparing to deter a major attack?
From Trust to Turbulence: US Approval in NATO Hits Historic Lows, Europe Rises as Security Powerhouse
Overview
By May-June 2026, trust in United States leadership among NATO countries has sharply eroded, with approval ratings for the US dropping to levels similar to China and closer to Russia than to the EU or Germany. This decline, highlighted by 2025 data, has led Europe to take assertive steps to strengthen its own defense and fill the gap left by reduced US engagement. As a result, European countries now provide nearly all of Ukraine’s military, financial, and humanitarian support, marking a significant shift in the balance of transatlantic leadership and prompting Europe to boost its strategic autonomy.