A recent poll conducted by the "Politico" in six European countries — Spain, Germany, France, Italy, Poland, and Belgium — shows that a higher percentage of respondents (36 percent) view the United States as a greater threat than China (29 percent).

Since returning to power in January 2025, US President Donald Trump has questioned Washington's commitment to NATO, threatened to annex Greenland and Canada, hit allies with tariffs and launched a war with Iran that European countries refused to join, the report said. Signaling a hardening of views toward the US, the poll also pointed to a deepening contradiction at the heart of European security politics. Voters want Europe to be better armed and more self-reliant as trust in the US erodes.