Respondents in Germany, France, and Canada hold an overwhelmingly negative view of Washington’s global role, according to Politico
Public opinions in countries which are closely allied with Washington have shifted sharply against the country amid US President Donald Trump’s ongoing foreign policy overhaul, according to a new poll published by Politico.
The Public First survey was conducted earlier this month among 10,510 adults in the US, Canada, the UK, France, and Germany, with at least 2,000 respondents in each country.
It found that a majority of Canadians and pluralities in Germany and France believe the US is a “negative force” in the world.
Near-majorities in the three countries also said Washington tends to create more problems for other countries than it solves. In the UK, views were more mixed, although sizable shares still expressed skepticism about US reliability and global behavior.
Americans, however, rated the US more positively. More than half said it is a positive force globally and can be depended on in a crisis, while nearly half said Washington supports its allies around the world.
The poll comes as Trump has reshaped US foreign policy since returning to office, pursuing a more nationalist and transactional approach. His administration has emphasized stricter border controls, rolled back climate-related commitments, and moved to revoke a number of ideologically driven policies both at home and abroad.
Meanwhile, a newly released US National Security Strategy has criticized European governments for what it has called a loss of cultural confidence and warned of “civilizational erasure.” Trump has described Europe as “decaying” and led by “weak” people.
Washington has also outlined normalizing relations with Moscow and ending the Ukraine conflict as central goals of US policy, marking a significant departure from previous strategies, which were characterized by the economic and diplomatic isolation of Russia.
Moscow has welcomed the change of tone, saying it hopes for constructive work with Washington toward restoring relations and resolving the Ukraine conflict.
Western European officials have publicly downplayed Washington’s criticisms while stressing that it remains a key ally. European Council President Antonio Costa, however, has warned the US about interfering in the EU’s “democratic life,” accusing it of weakening the “rules-based international order.”
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