A new survey of European countries shows that the United States is increasingly viewed as a threat rather than an ally.

US unilateralism and exceptionalism have undermined its global credibility, weakened the trust of allies, and placed a growing strain on trans-Atlantic ties, experts say.

A survey of 6,698 respondents across six European nations — Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Poland — conducted from March 13 to 21 by polling firm Cluster17 for news website Politico found only 12 percent viewed the US as a close ally, while 36 percent regarded it as a threat.

"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," Politico reported.

The poll highlighted a hardening of views toward the United States and a contradiction in European security politics: Voters want a stronger, more independent Europe as trust in Washington declines, but support drops if it means higher costs or long-term commitments to Ukraine.

The survey found that 76 percent of respondents support sending troops to assist in collective defense if an ally is attacked. Support rises to 81 percent when the question specifically concerns defending a fellow European Union member state.

However, only 19 percent said they would personally take up arms and fight if their own country were attacked.

"The findings reveal high political support for defense but low willingness among individuals to actually fight," Politico wrote. "The survey suggests European countries face significant challenges in addressing troop shortages."

Liu Le, an associate researcher at the National Institute of International Strategy of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the poll results indicate growing disappointment and distrust among European citizens toward the White House.

"US unilateral moves on Greenland, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and the war in Iran have increasingly conflicted with the interests of European allies, while also eroding the shared values that have long sustained the trans-Atlantic alliance," Liu said.

The US administration is pursuing a strategy that goes beyond "America first" toward an "America only" orientation, which has contributed to growing negative sentiment in Europe regarding the US' strategic credibility and consistency, he said.

Escalating tensions with Tehran have prompted Washington to scale back its strategic engagement in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, leading to a gradual retreat from its security commitments to Europe and prompting Brussels to reassess relations with Washington, he added.

Chen Hong, director of the Asia Pacific Studies Centre at East China Normal University in Shanghai, said that the current US administration has treated security commitments as a bargaining chip and has repeatedly threatened its allies, laying bare what many view as the hegemonic nature of its approach.

In recent years, the US has wielded the threat of tariffs against allies, pursued exclusionary trade and supply chain policies, and drawn them into its framework of great-power economic competition, he said.

Own interests

"By turning economic relationships once grounded in rules and mutual benefits into instruments for advancing its own interests, the United States has undermined the interests of European partners," Chen said.

"In this process, the US has sought to externalize manufacturing costs while retaining firm control over key technologies and critical resources," he said. "Europe has increasingly come to see that the US does not treat it as an equal partner, but as a strategic asset to be mobilized, leveraged and, when necessary, sacrificed."

Although opinion polls point to increasingly negative views of the United States in Europe, the likelihood of Europe fully breaking its dependence on its ally in the near term remains low, experts said.

"Europe is increasingly seeking a dynamic balance grounded in realism," Chen said. "In fact, it is precisely the US' undermining of allies' interests and institutional foundations that has compelled Europe to pursue greater strategic autonomy."

This shift does not signal a departure from the trans-Atlantic alliance; rather, it represents a reactive response and structural adjustment in response to US unilateralism and rule-breaking behavior, he said.

The poll also said that respondents viewing the US as a threat exceeded the 29 percent who said the same about China. In four of the six nations surveyed, the US was perceived as a greater threat than China, with Spain recording the highest at 51 percent.

Liu of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences said that for Europe, seeking cooperation with China is not a speculative choice, but a necessity. Despite their differences, China and Europe continue to share broad common interests, he said.

Europe's efforts to improve ties with China and deepen bilateral cooperation reflect its strategic need for more independent and self-reliant development, he added.

liujianqiao@chinadaily.com.cn