What European citizens think about the United States, the Russian threat and a common European defence

Interview with DANIEL DEBOMY, Adviser at the Jacques Delors Institute, Paris

HARTMUT BÜHL – European News Journal, Paris

Has the United States’ image deteriorated among European citizens since Donald Trump moved into the White House and reduced security guarantees for the European continent? How do European societies perceive the Russian threat? What expectations do they have of a common European defence, and do they still trust NATO?

European News Journal (ENJ) interviewed Daniel Debomy, adviser at the Jacques Delors Institute in Paris and specialist in opinion formation in Europe. His answers are mainly based on the analysis of the spring Eurobarometer results (Standard Eurobarometer 103) published in May 2025.

Mr Debomy, you follow opinion formation on security and defence matters in Europe very closely. In autumn 2024, before Trump took office, trust and distrust of European citizens in the United States and its policies was evenly split. Where do we stand today? And are there any figures on Russia and China?

Daniel Debomy: The image of the United States has suffered dramatically. Whereas favourable and unfavourable opinions were previously balanced as you said, the former positive answers have fallen to 29% while the negative ones have jumped to 67%. While the United States is still perceived more positively than Russia (favourable opinions at only 14%, compared to 83% unfavourable), it now scores no higher than China!

“The image of the United States has suffered dramatically.”

This is a cruel deterioration of the image of the United States. Are there any remarkable particularities in the different EU member countries?

Daniel Debomy: The deterioration is widespread in almost all Member States (with a few exceptions where the situation remains stable), and it is particularly pronounced in many countries traditionally close to the US and the Atlantic Alliance, such as the Netherlands (12% in favour vs 88% against), Denmark (13% vs 85%), Germany (17% vs 81%), Belgium (22% vs 77%), Luxembourg (19% vs 77%), Ireland (24% vs 73%) – as well as in Sweden (18% vs 82%), Finland (24% vs 75%), France (24% vs 69%), or Spain (19% vs 77%).

Is this the same in the eastern EU Member States?

Daniel Debomy: The US image balance is negative in all EU Member States, except in Poland (56% vs 37% – in spite of a substantial drop there too), Romania (65% vs 31%), and Hungary (where favourable and unfavourable views are balanced). The gaps are rather small in Latvia, Lithuania and Bulgaria (less than 8 percentage points) but larger in the Czech Republic and Estonia, and extremely large in Slovakia, Croatia and Slovenia (near or over 30 points). We can also mention a limited gap in Cyprus, as opposed to a major one in Malta.

What about the support for the idea of a European defence?

Daniel Debomy: In all Member States, support reaches or exceeds 70%, or approaches this proportion in one country (68% in Austria). All together 81% of EU citizens support a common security and defence policy, compared to only 15% who oppose it.

The highest rates are found in Germany (90%), the Benelux countries (between 85% and 89%), the three Nordic countries (between 82% and 88%), the Baltic States (between 81% and 89%), and also in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, and Slovenia (above 80%). Since autumn 2024, some countries have recorded notable increases: +17% in Portugal, +15% in Malta, +12% in Sweden, +10% in Denmark, and +8% in Ireland.

What do EU citizens think about concrete initiatives, such as increased defence cooperation and defence spending?

Daniel Debomy: Indeed, there are several concrete proposals that receive broad support from Europeans, such as strengthening defence cooperation, increasing the defence budget in the EU, better coordination of military equipment purchase or strengthening the arms production capacity (see box below).

WHAT DO EU CITIZENS THINK ABOUT:

Strengthening defence cooperation (82% in favor, +4 points since autumn 2024); no score is lower than 68%.
Increasing the defense budget in the EU (69%, +5 points), supported particularly in the Nordic countries, Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.
Better coordination of military equipment purchases (81%, +2 points); no score below 69%.
Strengthening arms production capacity in the EU (73%, +4 points), with particularly high scores (80% or more) in Finland, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Poland, and Portugal; lowest score (in the Czech Republic) 54% against 35%

Source: Standard Eurobarometer 103

In this context, what is the opinion on NATO? Is the Alliance dragged into the US’s low perception?

Daniel Debomy: No, that hasn’t happened. Disaffection with the US does not yet extend to NATO. 53% of Europeans say they trust it (compared to 37% who don’t) – although there has been a slight decline (-3 points).

Mr Debomy, let me ask a question on the opinion of European societies on Putin’s war in Ukraine. Are the perceptions of the Russian threat still high?

Daniel Debomy: They are unchanged, as 77% of Europeans believe that the Russian invasion of Ukraine poses a threat to EU security, with +1 point since the autumn 2024 survey. The highest scores (90% and above) are observed in the Nordic countries and Portugal, followed by Ireland, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Poland, Lithuania, and Germany (above 80%), while fear is significantly lower in Bulgaria (56% vs 36%) and especially Cyprus (52%).

And do EU citizens agree with economic sanctions against Russia?

Daniel Debomy: 72% of citizens support the imposition of economic sanctions against the Russian government, companies, and individuals (+1 point). This support remains extremely strong in the Nordic countries, Poland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Ireland, and Portugal. However, it is more fragile in Hungary and Greece, divided in Bulgaria, and a minority only in Cyprus.

Daniel Debomy, founder and managing director of the opinion research institute OPTEM, is currently Adviser for European public opinions at the Jacques Delors Institute in Paris.