Most Europeans see Russia as an adversary, polls

LONDON - Most Europeans see Russia as an adversary after its invasion of Ukraine, according to a survey of more than 16,000 people in 11 EU member states.

Europeans tend to have a more positive view of China, with a plurality seeing Beijing as a necessary partner.

Russian "opponent"

Two-thirds of Europeans now see Russia as an adversary since its invasion of Ukraine, according to a survey by the European Council on Foreign Relations, or ECFR, conducted in April. That is twice as much compared to 2021, the last time the survey was conducted.

"Especially majorities in Denmark [74%] Poland [71%]Sweden [70%]Netherlands [66%]Germany [62%] and Spain [55%]think of Russia as an "adversary" to Europe - while only 37% in Italy and 17% in Bulgaria do, the ECFR report said.

Future relationships

Respondents were also asked about Europe's future relationship with Moscow.

“About half of the respondents [48%] believe that their country's relationship with Russia, in the event of a negotiated peace settlement in Ukraine, should be "limited," the report said.

“The only country where a majority [51%] of citizens expressing the opinion that it should be "fully cooperative" was Bulgaria. Many in Austria [36%] and Hungary [32%] also supported this view," it added.

European security

The survey looked at attitudes towards the security guarantees provided by the US and whether Europe should invest more in its own defence. Some EU leaders - notably French President Emmanuel Macron - have called for Europe to develop strategic autonomy, the ability to defend itself independently of the US

Almost three-quarters of respondents said that Europe cannot always rely on the United States for its security.

"You can of course interpret that as a sign that Europeans don't trust Americans as much as they used to historically. And in that sense, maybe Donald Trump's presidency has left lasting damage to that relationship," says Pawel Zerka. a co-author of the report with the European Council on Foreign Relations, in an interview with VOA.

- But you can also have a more benevolent interpretation, according to which - simply because of the war in Ukraine and Russia's invasion of Ukraine - Europeans are more ready to take responsibility for their security right now, he says.

China's position

The survey asked similar questions about European attitudes towards China.

"A diversity of respondents [43%] consider China as an "indispensable partner" to their country. This position places them closer to the political positions of Germany's Olaf Scholz and France's Emmanuel Macron than the China hawks, which e.g. [European Union Commission President] Ursula von der Leyen," the report says.

Co-author Pawel Zerka said that compared to Russia, there are marked differences in European attitudes towards China.

"People usually say that the risks and benefits are balanced, so they don't realize that the economic relationship with China is particularly risky and therefore requires some rebalancing," he told VOA.

However, a majority of Europeans opposed the idea of ​​Chinese ownership of key infrastructure, while 41% of respondents said that if Beijing gave Russia weapons, the EU should impose sanctions on Beijing even if it would hurt Western economies.


https://nord.news/2023/06/30/most-europeans-see-russia-as-an-adversary-polls/?feed_id=35853

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