August M
For decades, international alliances secured global peace. But things change.
A major shift in public opinion is fundamentally reshaping how Europeans view their traditional protectors, as political tensions continue to mount across the Atlantic, TV 2 News reports.
Trust is fading
Faith in American leadership is plummeting. According to a new study by the European Council of Foreign Affairs (ECFR), reported by TV 2 News, just 11 percent of Europeans now see the United States and its president, Donald Trump, as an ally.
This represents a massive slide from previous years. The figure stood at 22 percent in late 2024, but dropped to 16 percent in 2025. Today, trust has hit a new low.
The shift is especially stark in Denmark, where support crashed to 7.4 percent. Jana Kobzová, who wrote the study, told TV 2, “The population has realized that they can no longer take American security guarantees for granted,”
Trump’s actions fueled this skepticism. After he threatened to annex Greenland and pressure Ukraine, confidence evaporated. Kobzová noted that “The public stands where its leaders stand when it comes to assessing the reliability of the United States at the moment and when it comes to defending Europe,”
Holding onto hope
Despite the frustration, Europeans will not abandon old alliances. They still hope for a brighter future.
In countries like Denmark and Spain, 60 percent believe Trump has bruised the relationship but expect healing later. Kobzová told TV 2, “They hold on to the hope that things might return to something better, but they don’t believe that will happen while Trump is president,”
Still, building a European replacement for NATO remains unpopular. Only 29 percent support an alternative. Kobzová observed, “I think they have realized that relations with the United States are on hold. But we have not given up. And the people do not want to move towards a new structure,”
Time is running out
The survey arrived just before the G7 summit. While it gives governments a reason to boost defense, voters are also running out of patience over economic issues.
Kobzová warned that citizens are blaming their leaders for local problems. She stated, “They are increasingly blaming not only the Iran war and Trump, but also their own governments,”
With elections looming, the political clock is ticking fast. Kobzová concluded, “This is something urgent because we may face a different political picture in Europe in a year,”
Sources: TV 2 News, ECFR
