Europeans Doubt U.S. Will Defend Them in Attack, ECFR Study Finds

A comprehensive study by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) reveals a significant erosion of trust in the United States' commitment to European security. Conducted across 15 European countries, the research indicates that a majority in most nations believe the U.S. would not intervene militarily if they were attacked. This sentiment is particularly strong in Spain, where 42% expressed complete lack of trust in American aid.

Poland, despite historically strong ties, shows the highest level of faith in American assistance among the surveyed nations, with 37% expressing high or moderate trust. However, even here, 41% of respondents indicated they do not believe in transatlantic military support. This contrasts with countries like the UK and France, which show less doubt than expected.

The ECFR study, which included 13 EU members, the UK, and Switzerland, found that Europeans place considerably more confidence in mutual defense pacts within the European Union. Denmark leads with 88% trusting aid from EU neighbors, followed by the Netherlands and Sweden. In Poland, 49.5% expressed belief in European solidarity during a crisis.

Paweł Zerka, a co-author of the report, noted that while Poles' distrust of Americans isn't as strong as in some other nations, their trust in European neighbors isn't exceptionally high either. The research also highlighted a surprising finding: voters from far-right and Eurosceptic parties in several countries, including Italy, Sweden, and France, expressed belief in aid from European neighbors, challenging typical political alignments.