The historic bond between Europe and the United States is fracturing in real-time. A startling new poll reveals that a majority of Western Europeans now view the US not as a protector, but as a threat to their sovereignty. The catalyst? President Donald Trump’s renewed and aggressive push to “buy” Greenland, a move that has been met with fury in Copenhagen and deep anxiety across the continent.

The YouGov survey paints a picture of an alliance in freefall. In Denmark, the epicenter of the crisis, unfavorable opinions of the US have skyrocketed to 84%. But the sentiment is shared across the bloc, with large majorities in Germany, France, and Spain expressing deep antipathy toward the Trump administration. The “Greenland Grab” is no longer seen as a real estate tycoon’s eccentric whim; it is viewed as a hostile act against a European territory.

The Ally Becomes the Adversary

The numbers are stark. Fewer than 26% of Danes now consider the US a “friend or ally,” a precipitous drop from 80% just three years ago. “We are seeing a fundamental realignment of public trust,” says a senior analyst at YouGov. “Europeans are waking up to a reality where Washington is a source of instability, not security.”

Trump’s rhetoric—threatening tariffs and questioning NATO’s utility if Denmark refuses to sell—has backfired spectacularly. Instead of cowing Europe, it has stiffened its spine. The poll shows a surge in support for European “self-assertion,” with voters demanding their leaders prize EU autonomy over the traditional Atlantic relationship. They will not trade their values, or their territory, to placate the White House.

A Continent United in Disapproval

The survey reveals that Europeans largely agree with some of Trump’s diagnoses—that Europe has been too weak on defense and immigration—but they violently reject his methods and his transactional worldview. They see the Greenland ultimatum as a violation of international norms.


The Greenland Factor: For Danes, this is personal. Greenland is not a commodity; it is a self-governing society with its own people and history. The idea of “selling” it is viewed as colonial and offensive.
Economic Anxiety: While Europeans want to stand up to the US, they are realistic about the cost. The poll shows that most believe the US is still economically and militarily superior, and that a total breakdown in relations would be disastrous for Europe’s prosperity.

The Geopolitical Consequences

This shift in public opinion gives European leaders a mandate to say “no.” It empowers figures like French President Macron who have long argued for “strategic autonomy.” If the US continues to treat its allies like subsidiaries, it may find itself isolated. The Greenland crisis has done what decades of diplomacy failed to do: it has united Europe, not with America, but against it.