Only 11% of Europeans view US as ally, survey shows

PARIS, June 10 (Reuters) - Only 11% ‌of Europeans across ​15 ​countries view the United States as an ally, a historic low and down from 16% half a year ago and 22% in November ‌2024, according to a survey published by the European Council on ⁠Foreign Relations on Wednesday.

The findings, released ahead of G7 and NATO summits, highlight Europe's waning confidence in ‌Washington as a reliable security ‌partner. Majorities in all surveyed countries expressed doubts that the U.S. would come to their defence in the event of an attack.

• Europeans were four percentage ​points more likely than last year to support increased national defence spending. Italy is the only country where a clear majority remains opposed.

• 47% of ⁠respondents across the region back the idea of collective EU borrowing to fund defence initiatives, with the strongest support ​recorded in Portugal (59%), Denmark (56%), and the Netherlands (55%).

• Most respondents advocated reducing reliance on U.S. military hardware in favour of European alternatives, ​with Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden reporting the ‌highest support for "buying European".

• Poland was the sole outlier with a majority favouring increased purchases of U.S. weapons, while Germany, Italy ⁠and Hungary showed significant division on the matter.

• Resistance to cutting domestic public spending for increased defence budgets remains strong in Italy (63%), Austria (59%) and Germany (56%).

• On energy policy, 44% of Europeans ⁠opposed resuming oil and gas imports from Russia despite rising costs.

• Most respondents continue to support ​Ukraine as an ally or strategic partner, though consensus weakens when it comes to sending peacekeeping troops to Ukraine post-war or expanding EU membership eastward.

• Majorities in every country polled except ‌Bulgaria thought U.S.-European relations would improve when U.S. President Donald Trump left office.

• The poll was carried out in May 2026 ‌using a mix of methods by pollsters including Mandate Research and YouGov, sampling the ⁠views of people aged 18 and ‌over in Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, ​Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK.

(Reporting by Leo Marchandon; Editing by Makini Brice and ‌David Holmes)

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