Only 1 in 10 Europeans now consider the US an ally, while majorities across Europe doubt that Washington would come to their defense in the event of an attack, according to a new survey. A poll conducted by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) and first reported by The Guardian found that just 11% of respondents across 15 European countries view the US as an ally – down from 16% six months ago and 22% in November 2024.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. The findings point to what researchers describe as a “deep European distrust” in the US among European publics ahead of upcoming G7 and NATO summits. The survey suggests that confidence in the US security umbrella has fallen to a new low, as Europeans grow increasingly concerned about Washington’s reliability under US President Donald Trump. Majorities in every country surveyed said they no longer trust the US to come to their defense in the event of an attack. Trump’s threats to withdraw US troops from Europe, criticism of NATO, rhetoric regarding Greenland, and foreign policy decisions in the Middle East were cited as key factors in the report. “Across the continent, there’s clear support for reducing dependence on Washington,” ECFR senior policy fellow Jana Kobzová said. Stronger European defense The survey found Europeans are increasingly willing to strengthen their own defense capabilities rather than rely on Washington. On average, respondents were 4% more likely to support higher national defense spending than a year ago. Nearly half of those surveyed – 47% – supported joint EU borrowing to finance increased defense spending, while 35% opposed the idea.