The United States is losing trust from its closest allies. According to a new Politico-Public First poll conducted earlier this month that found large shares in Canada, Germany, France and the United Kingdom now believe Washington creates more problems for other nations than it solves.
In Canada, 56 % of respondents said the U.S. negatively affects global affairs, while 40 % of people in France and Germany and 35 % in the U.K. shared that view. Meanwhile, 63 % of Canadians and 52 % of Germans said the U.S. tends to create issues rather than resolve them, reflecting rising unease with the United States’ global role.
Experts link much of this sentiment to President Donald Trump’s recent rhetoric and policy positions toward long-standing partners in Europe. In an interview with Politico earlier this month, Trump sharply criticized the European Union and other Western governments, calling parts of the continent “weak” and “decaying” because of immigration and other political challenges. Per The National, analysts say comments like these may be deepening unease among allies.
‘Poll: America’s allies say the US creates more problems than it solves.’ Pluralities in Germany & France — and a majority of Canadians — say the US is a negative force globally, new @politico-Public First polling finds.https://t.co/zEZSE1JMoK
— Husain Haqqani (@husainhaqqani) December 23, 2025
“Europe is a different place. And if it keeps going the way it’s going… many of those countries will not be viable countries any longer. Their immigration policy is a disaster,” Trump told Politico in the interview. Trump also suggested in that interview that European partners should adjust policies on Ukraine in ways that many in Europe reject and has repeatedly criticized their handling of immigration, trade and security cooperation — themes that analysts say are now influencing public opinion in allied capitals.
The timing of the poll coincides with another crossroad in transatlantic relations: Trump’s renewed push on Greenland, a self-governing Arctic territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. In recent days, per AP News, he has appointed Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as a U.S. “special envoy” to Greenland and said the island is “essential” to American national security, comments that have provoked sharp rebukes from Copenhagen and Nuuk.
BREAKING: In an unbelievable moment, a recent poll just revealed that Canada is enormously more popular in the U.S. than Trump is: Canada is +49, while Trump is under water at a humiliating -10.
Trump is a worldwide pariah.pic.twitter.com/NCdju113Dk
— Really American 🇺🇸 (@ReallyAmerican1) October 27, 2025
According to Al Jazeera, Trump said from his Mar-a-Lago residence that the United States “needs Greenland for national security, not for minerals,” adding that the appointment of Landry would “lead the charge” in strengthening American interests in the region. Danish and Greenlandic leaders responded jointly that “you cannot annex another country … not even with an argument about international security” and emphasized that “Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders.”
The decision has not only angered Denmark’s government but also drawn broader European support for Danish sovereignty, The Guardian notes. Officials in Copenhagen have summoned the U.S. ambassador in protest, and leaders across the EU have stressed the importance of respecting national borders. Trump’s sudden interest in the country has only led to the Greenland issue becoming point of solidarity among Europe’s partners.
“The future of Greenland lies in the hands of the Greenlanders.”
This was the reaction from Germany’s foreign ministry, following a post on X from the new US special envoy for Greenland, Jeff Landry. He said it was an honor to serve “to make Greenland a part of the US.” pic.twitter.com/3efHzXDBpq
— DW Politics (@dw_politics) December 22, 2025
According to The Daily Beast, for many in allied countries, recent U.S. statements and policy moves are reinforcing a belief that Washington’s global role can be destabilizing rather than unifying. Given the decades of cooperation between the allies, this is a rather startling change.
Observers say the combination of polling data and recent diplomatic rows highlights a moment of friction that could shape transatlantic relations in the months ahead, especially if leaders on both sides do not find common ground on shared security and diplomatic goals.
