Europeans want independence from the US but do not believe in their own armed forces - poll
Kyiv • UNN
According to a Public First poll, 40% of respondents in 24 EU countries consider it acceptable to rely on Europe for military assistance, while only 14% are ready for help from outside the continent. At the same time, 43% of Europeans doubt Europe's ability to repel an attack.
Europeans increasingly want to rely on themselves, rather than the US, on defense issues, but there are serious doubts about the feasibility of this. Politico writes about this, citing the results of a Public First survey in 24 EU countries, UNN reports.
Details
Thus, according to sociologists, 40% of respondents believe it would be acceptable for their country to rely on Europe for military assistance, while only 14% are ready to rely on military aid from outside the continent — in particular, from the US.
Europeans feel less secure and consider the US less reliable. Whether this means a willingness to confront some of the tough compromises that a more autonomous European defense entails, including the need for greater investments that are not necessarily focused on firms in their own country, remains an open question
At the same time, it is noted that Europeans' opinions on Europe's actual readiness for defense are divided: 41% of respondents believe in the continent's ability to repel an attack, while 43% are convinced of the opposite.
Even more doubts arise regarding national defense: 58 percent of respondents believe their country is not ready to defend itself, and only 27 percent believe it is ready.
Furthermore, 46% of Europeans are convinced that EU countries need to develop their own production of military equipment, even if this leads to a significant increase in the cost of defense procurement.
Reminder
The French Parliament approved a military planning law with a budget of 436 billion euros until 2030. The document takes into account the lessons of conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.