According to a survey conducted across 15 European countries, the proportion of respondents who consider the United States an ally has fallen to just 11 percent. As confidence in Washington declines among European publics, support for increased defense spending and a shift toward European-made weapons has gained momentum.
A survey published by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) revealed a significant change in European public attitudes toward the United States ahead of the upcoming G7 and NATO summits.
According to the study, only 11 percent of respondents across the 15 countries surveyed view the United States as an ally. The figure stood at 16 percent six months ago and 22 percent in November 2024.
In all participating countries, a majority of respondents stated that they do not trust the United States to defend their country in the event of an attack.
Growing Support for Higher Defense Spending
Europeans have also become more receptive to increasing defense expenditures. Support for higher defense budgets rose by four percentage points compared to last year. Italy was the only country where a majority opposed raising defense spending.
According to the survey, 47 percent of respondents supported joint European Union borrowing to finance European defense. The highest levels of support were recorded in Portugal at 59 percent, Denmark at 56 percent, and the Netherlands at 55 percent.
European Weapons or American Weapons?
A large majority of participants favored reducing dependence on U.S. military equipment and increasing investment in European-made defense systems. This preference was strongest in Denmark, the Netherlands, and Sweden.
Poland stood out as the only notable exception. There, a majority supported increasing purchases of U.S.-made weapons.
Continued Support for Ukraine
The survey also found that most Europeans continue to view Ukraine as either an ally or a strategic partner. However, support was more limited when it came to deploying peacekeeping forces to Ukraine after the war and further eastward expansion of the European Union.
In every country surveyed except Bulgaria, a majority of respondents said they believed relations between the United States and Europe would improve after U.S. President Donald Trump leaves office.
The survey was conducted in May 2026 across Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.