News24 | Negative views of US jump among Europeans - polls

A new Eurobarometer survey found sharply rising negative views of the United States among Europeans during the Presidency of Donald Trump, amid tensions over tariffs, foreign policy and security issues.

A new Eurobarometer survey found sharply rising negative views of the United States among Europeans during the Presidency of Donald Trump, amid tensions over tariffs, foreign policy and security issues.

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Three-quarters of Europeans hold a negative view of the United States, a sharp jump compared to late last year, according to a wide-ranging survey published on Friday.

Based on polling across the EU’s 27 member states, the share of people with an unfavourable opinion of the United States has risen 14 points since October-November 2025, to hit 74%.

Just 24% of Europeans now view the country positively, the Eurobarometer survey found.

By comparison, 83% of EU citizens polled held a negative view of Russia, 61% of China and 41% of India.

The shift coincides with a period of acute transatlantic tensions as US President Donald Trump has targeted the EU with waves of tariffs, threatened Greenland’s sovereignty and launched a new war in the Middle East.

The European Commission declined to comment on the survey findings.

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“The US is an important partner for us, and we work with them constructively on all the topics of common interest we have with them,” said commission spokesperson Arianna Podesta.

At the same time, 73% of respondents described the European Union as a “place of stability in a troubled world”.

And the survey found overwhelming support for deeper EU cooperation on defence and security, with 81% backing a common policy in the area - the highest level in 20 years.

The poll was conducted from mid-March to early April across all 27 EU member states, with more than 26 000 people interviewed.

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