Giant majorities in 5 western European nations suppose Donald Trump is a risk to peace and safety in Europe, a survey has discovered, after the US president assailed Volodymyr Zelenskyy and suspended army assist to Ukraine.
The YouGov polling of France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK was carried out in a dramatic week that left Europe’s leaders scrambling to reply to the prospect of the US pulling long-term help from Ukraine and its European allies.
Because the EU debates an €800bn plan to “rearm” Europe, the survey discovered that solely a minority of respondents believed the remaining western allies would be capable of help Ukraine if the US withdrew – however comparatively few backed larger defence spending.
Most Europeans suppose it’s unacceptable to exclude Kyiv or Europe from peace talks and, whereas many suppose Russia would most likely assault Ukraine once more even after a deal, opinions are divided on Franco-British proposals to deploy European peacekeepers.
After Trump’s obvious alignment with Russia, the polling, carried out between 26 February and 4 March, discovered majorities in all 5 nations believed the US president had grow to be a “very large or pretty large risk to peace and safety in Europe”.
That sentiment was weakest in Italy at 58%, rising to 69% in France, 74% in Germany, 75% in Spain and 78% within the UK. By comparability, the share of people that mentioned Russia’s Vladimir Putin was a risk ran from 74% in Italy to 89% within the UK.
Trump’s reputation, examined throughout 4 nations however not Germany, was additionally exceptionally low, with majorities starting from 80% within the UK to 63% in Italy saying they held an unfavourable view of Trump, towards a spread of 89% to 77% for Putin.
Europeans have grow to be markedly much less prepared to help the US militarily within the occasion of it coming below assault, the polling confirmed, and are additionally considerably extra sceptical that Washington would honour its collective defence commitments below the Nato treaty.
If Russia have been to assault the Baltic states and Poland, solely between 18% and 39% of individuals within the UK, France, Spain and Italy believed the US would go to their assist – though folks have been extra assured the US would defend their very own respective nations.
Few Europeans suppose the remaining western allies would be capable of help Ukraine sufficient for it to maintain defending itself if the US pulls out: a 3rd of Spaniards (35%) and Britons (33%), and 1 / 4 (24-25%) in France, Germany and Italy.
Many individuals say they need Ukraine to win the struggle. Within the UK, 67% share that sentiment and say they care an important deal or truthful quantity that it does, adopted by Spain (57%), Germany (52%), France (50%) and Italy (34%). Solely 2-7% desire a Russian victory.
However whereas equally massive numbers say present ranges of help will not be sufficient to cease Moscow from successful, solely a minority in every suppose that their very own nation ought to enhance its assist efforts, starting from 9% in Italy to 24% within the UK.
After European leaders careworn the necessity for a serious and pressing enhance in defence spending, recognition that defence budgets must rise within the face of unsure US help has risen, though to not a very putting extent.
Britons are the more than likely to say so at 46% (up six factors), towards 39% in France (up 12), 32% in Spain (up six), and simply 11% in Italy (unchanged). In December 45% of Germans, who weren’t requested the query this time, mentioned spending was too low.
The US administration’s choice to hunt a peace deal instantly with Russia may be very unpopular, with majorities (52-78%) in Britain, Spain, France and Italy seeing the exclusion of Ukraine as unacceptable. Giant numbers felt the identical about Europe.
Most Britons (65%) and Spaniards (55%) suppose Russia would most likely assault Ukraine inside 10 years of any peace deal, as do 49% of French respondents and 48% of Germans. Italians have been break up, with 35% considering one other struggle probably and 37% not.
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, and Britain’s prime minister, Keir Starmer, have proposed stationing European peacekeepers in Ukraine to counter such an eventuality, and extra folks help the thought than not in each nations.
About 52% of Britons again the plan, in contrast with 27% who have been opposed, with French respondents 49% for and 29% towards. Spaniards have been additionally supportive (53%), however solely 36% and 37% have been prepared in Germany and Italy, with 45% and 47% opposed.
The survey additionally revealed a widespread perception that Russia would assault different European nations inside the subsequent decade. Six in 10 Britons thought this was probably, as did 44-47% of respondents in France, Germany and Spain, although 45% of Italians thought it unlikely.
Supply hyperlink
