Poll: 48% Of Europeans View Trump As ‘Enemy’, 69% Fear War With Russia In Coming Years

NEW YORK (VINnews) — Nearly half of European citizens believe that U.S. President Donald Trump is an “enemy of Europe.” At the same time, a large majority rates the risk of a war with Russia as high. In addition, more than two-thirds of Europeans think their country cannot defend itself alone in the event of a direct military confrontation. These findings come from a study published on Sunday in Europe.

The survey, conducted in nine different countries for the French think tank Le Grand Continent, based in Paris, found that close to three-quarters of respondents want their country to remain a member of the European Union. A similar number said that Britain’s departure from the EU has harmed the United Kingdom. Jean-Yves Dormagen, a political science professor and founder of the polling agency Cluster17, said: “The overall picture is of an anxious Europe, deeply aware of its vulnerabilities and struggling to project a positive vision of its future.”

On average, 48 percent of respondents across the nine countries view Trump as an outright enemy, with the figure peaking at 62 percent in Belgium and 57 percent in France, and dropping to 37 percent in Croatia and 19 percent in Poland.
Dormagen emphasized that “across the continent, Trump’s approach is clearly perceived as hostile,” noting that this perception has strengthened, as fewer people now describe Trump as “neither friend nor enemy” compared to last December. However, Europeans still view relations with the United States as strategically important, with the most popular option for the EU — supported by 48 percent — being to seek a compromise with the American administration.

The survey, conducted among others in France, Italy, Germany and Poland, found that 51 percent of respondents believe the risk of an open war with Russia in the coming years is high, with 18 percent considering it very high.

The data varied according to proximity to Russia: 77 percent in Poland saw the risk as high, compared to 54 percent in France, 51 percent in Germany, 39 percent in Portugal, and 34 percent in Italy.

In addition, confidence in national military capabilities is low: 69 percent of respondents believe their country is “not really” or “not at all” capable of defending itself against Russian aggression. The sense of vulnerability was widespread: only 12 percent said they did not feel particularly threatened. The most widely agreed-upon threat was technology and digital security (28 percent), followed by military security (25 percent). Consequently, there is strong demand for EU assistance, with 69 percent saying the European Union should play a protective role.

The survey also shows overwhelming support for continuing EU membership: 74 percent expressed a desire to remain in the bloc, with the highest support in Portugal (90 percent) and Spain (89 percent), and the lowest in Poland (68 percent) and France (61 percent). Britain’s decision to leave the EU is widely regarded as a failure by 63 percent of respondents.