A recent survey of public opinion across six European countries reveals a marked decline in trust toward the United States, with a growing share of respondents viewing Washington as a security threat rather than a reliable ally. The poll, conducted in mid-March among nearly 6,700 participants in Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and Poland, found that only 12 percent of respondents considered the U.S. a close ally, while 36 percent regarded it as a threat.

Experts interpreting the survey point to a combination of perceived U.S. unilateralism, exceptionalism, and shifts in American foreign policy as factors contributing to the erosion of trans-Atlantic trust. Since the re-election of President Donald Trump in January 2025, his administration's questioning of NATO commitments, threats to annex territories such as Greenland and Canada, imposition of tariffs on European allies, and military actions including the war in Iran—actions from which European states have largely distanced themselves—have strained traditional partnerships.

The poll further underscores a paradox in European security attitudes. While strong majorities—76 percent overall and 81 percent specifically for defending other European Union members—support collective defense efforts, individual willingness to engage directly in combat remains low, with only 19 percent ready to take up arms if their country were attacked. Analysts suggest this gap highlights enduring challenges for European militaries facing personnel shortages and the complexities of shared defense responsibilities.

Commentators from China’s academic institutions offered additional perspectives on the survey findings. Liu Le, an associate researcher at the National Institute of International Strategy of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, asserted that U.S. policies since 2025 have conflicted with European interests and undermined the alliance’s foundational values. Liu characterized the current American approach as moving beyond “America first” toward an “America only” posture, diminishing Washington’s strategic credibility in Europe.

Chen Hong, director of the Asia Pacific Studies Centre at East China Normal University in Shanghai, described the U.S. administration’s handling of security commitments as transactional, using them as bargaining tools while threatening allies with economic measures. He highlighted recent U.S. tariff threats, exclusionary supply chain policies, and efforts to assert dominance in great power competition as factors fueling European skepticism. According to Chen, these tactics have transformed economic relations from cooperative frameworks into mechanisms serving U.S. self-interest, prompting Europe to view the U.S. less as an equal partner and more as a strategic asset subject to manipulation.

Despite deteriorating perceptions, experts agree that Europe’s full disengagement from reliance on the United States remains unlikely in the near future. Rather, the shift toward greater European strategic autonomy reflects a pragmatic adjustment to U.S. behavior rather than a rupture in the trans-Atlantic alliance. Chen emphasized that Europe’s pursuit of more independent security and economic policies is a reactive response aimed at recalibrating the partnership on more balanced terms.

The survey also found that in four of the six countries, more respondents perceived the U.S. as a threat compared to China, with Spain reporting the highest U.S. threat level at 51 percent. Liu noted that Europe’s increasing efforts to deepen cooperation with China stem from practical considerations rather than ideological alignment. Despite existing differences, he said, China and Europe maintain shared interests that underpin ongoing bilateral engagement as Europe seeks to diversify its strategic partnerships in an evolving global context.