June 10, 2026
Home Alone: Europe Edition
European sentiments towards the US hit an all-time low
Europe says America can’t be trusted — and the comments are absolutely on fire
TLDR: A major poll shows Europeans trust the US less than ever, want to rely more on themselves, and still back Ukraine while avoiding Russian fuel. In the comments, people turned that into a fiery debate over whether Europe can really defend itself — or whether the old alliance is already finished.
Europe’s mood toward the US has officially entered it’s complicated territory, and the comment section is treating it like a full-blown breakup saga. A new ECFR poll says trust in America has crashed, with many Europeans no longer expecting the US — especially under Donald Trump — to protect them. But here’s the twist: they still don’t think it’s over forever. The vibe is less “we’re done” and more “don’t text me right now.”
That nuance did not stop the internet from going feral. One crowd blasted the poll as establishment-approved comfort food, basically saying the real story is what the survey didn’t ask. Another pointed out the painfully obvious: saying Europe should defend itself is cute, but can it actually do it? That sparked the big tough-talk-versus-real-capacity fight. Then came the true spicy stuff: one commenter declared old-school NATO, the military alliance between North America and Europe, “completely dead” and argued Europe needs its own nuclear umbrella. Casual! Others mocked the idea that Trump is just some weird exception, with one dryly calling that a “French delusion.”
And yes, the article’s Home Alone metaphor got plenty of side-eye, even if it perfectly captured the memeable mood: Europe is booby-trapping the house, hoping the family comes back, and refusing to buy Russian fuel even while energy bills sting. The funniest and bleakest line of all may have been the commenter mourning the America they thought existed online, only to conclude: “The US is a business, not a country.” Ouch.
Key Points
- •An ECFR poll of 19,481 respondents in 15 European countries found Europeans are increasingly supportive of self-reliance amid geopolitical instability.
- •The article says trust in the US has fallen sharply, with only 11% of respondents now viewing it as an ally, down from 16% six months earlier and 22% in November 2024.
- •Europeans continue to back Ukraine, but the article says they are wary of EU enlargement to include Ukraine now and reluctant to send troops to a post-war peacekeeping mission.
- •Despite an energy crunch and pressure on living standards, the article says Europeans remain opposed to renewed Russian fossil-fuel imports.
- •The article argues that these attitudes give European leaders room to pursue strategic autonomy, support Ukraine through new mechanisms, and advance energy sovereignty ahead of elections in 2027.