Some Europeans see US as a bigger threat than China, Russia viewed as clear enemy – Politico

People in six European Union countries view the US more as a threat than as an ally under Donald Trump's presidency.

Source: Politico, a Brussels-based politics and policy news organisation, as reported by European Pravda

Details: In March, only 12% of respondents in Poland, Spain, Belgium, France, Germany and Italy considered the US a close ally, while 36% perceived it as a threat.

China was seen as a threat by 29% of respondents in these countries.

On a national level, concern about Washington exceeded concern about Beijing in four countries, with only respondents in France and Poland viewing China as the greater threat.

Russia was widely seen as an obvious enemy, with 70% of respondents identifying it as a threat.

Spanish respondents were the most negative towards the US, with 51% saying Washington posed a risk to Europe, the highest proportion among those surveyed.

In Italy, 46% considered the US a threat, 42% in Belgium, 37% in France and 30% in Germany.

Poland, which borders Russia and sees its alliance with the US as a key security guarantee, was the exception: only 13% said the US posed a risk.

The European Pulse poll, conducted by Cluster17 for Politico and beBartlet, included 6,698 Europeans in Spain, Germany, France, Italy, Poland and Belgium. It was carried out between 13 and 21 March.

Background:

• Previously, in an interview with The Telegraph, Trump said he was seriously considering the possibility of the US leaving NATO.
• On the same day, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that after the end of the conflict with Iran, the US would review its need for NATO membership.
• Trump also said his dissatisfaction with NATO had increased after allies did not understand his plan to annex Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark.

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