The United States began the year 2026 with fire and fury. From the overthrow of President Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela in January, to today’s open conflict with Iran, which has already claimed several high-profile victims, including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Europe seems shaken by the latest developments. According to a new YouTrend survey, trust in the United States has reached historically low levels.
Approximately 20% of those surveyed in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and Poland now view Washington as a “major threat,” a higher proportion than those who said the same about North Korea.
Beyond recent military operations, this judgment could also stem from the continuous flow of criticism that the Trump administration has directed towards Europe since taking office.
For example, claims that the EU was created to “harm the United States,” or that Europeans do not pay enough for NATO, warnings of “civilizational suicide.” Not to mention the trade war or attempts to take control of Greenland.
The way each country has responded to the United States closely reflects the reactions of their political leaders to the recent geopolitical crisis.
Spain, for instance, whose respondents are the most concerned about the United States (31%), was also the only EU country to openly condemn the attack on Iran, with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez calling it an “unjustified and dangerous military intervention.”
Trump inadvertently pushing Europeans into the arms of China?
The survey also highlights a subtle shift.
Europeans seem to be gravitating towards Washington’s primary global rival, China.
Not only is Beijing ranked last among major powers viewed as dangerous, but in a broader list of 19 potential threats (including corruption, cybersecurity, climate, and nuclear wars), almost no one (2.8%) selected China’s foreign policy as a top concern.
Yesterday, the country strongly condemned the assassination of Ali Khamenei by the United States, labeling it a “serious violation of Iran’s sovereignty and security” and contrary to UN principles.
Washington’s foreign policy, on the other hand, comes in second on average (21.5%).
U.S.-Europe relations: Irreparable divide or temporary crisis?
In any case, the vast majority of those surveyed in the countries polled view the current crisis in relations between the United States and Europe more as a temporary rupture than a divorce.
Most respondents in France, Spain, Poland, Italy, and the United Kingdom believe that once Donald Trump is no longer president, U.S. foreign policy and attitudes towards Europe will soften, with Spain being the most optimistic (55%).
Germany, on the other hand, is much more skeptical than any other country about a normalization of relations after Trump’s tenure, with 47% believing that the rift has reached a point of no return.
Migration seen as top issue to address across Europe
With an average of 31%, immigration stands out as the main concern across the surveyed countries, especially in Great Britain (40%) and Spain (34%).
The only exception on the migration issue is Poland, where respondents overwhelmingly choose a potential Russian aggression as the main danger (42%), as well as armed conflicts in general (30%).
At the same time, Italians stand out once again as the population with relatively more moderate views on Russia, displaying the lowest percentages among those considering Moscow a major threat (39%) and those fearing a new military aggression in Europe (11%).
