Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

What We're Watching

Europeans are skeptical about their American ally

President Joe Biden and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy pose for a photo, as they attend an event with G7 leaders to announce a joint declaration of support for Ukraine, as the NATO summit is held in Vilnius, Lithuania, July 12, 2023.

President Joe Biden and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy pose for a photo, as they attend an event with G7 leaders to announce a joint declaration of support for Ukraine, as the NATO summit is held in Vilnius, Lithuania, July 12, 2023.

REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

US President Joe Biden is on the beaches of Normandy today, marking 80 years since the US-led D-Day invasion, which helped liberate Western Europe from the Nazis.

In two separate speeches, Biden will argue that democracy is once again under threat – at home from Donald Trump and abroad from authoritarians on the march. America, he’ll say, must continue to use its power to defend democracies today, so it’s small wonder that he’ll meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as part of the festivities.

But are US allies confident Washington would really defend them? No, says a new poll by the Institute for Global Affairs, a non-profit study organization founded by Eurasia Group President Ian Bremmer.


Their latest report on “The New Atlanticism” reveals that just 6% of Western Europeans think the US is “very credible” as a guarantor of European security over the next decade. That partly explains why a majority also want Europe to take primary responsibility for its own security and move toward a more “neutral” relationship with the US.

The whole report is worth reading: It shows widening transatlantic differences over many issues, including democracy, immigration, the rise of China, and more. Check it out here.

More For You

A general view of U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., U.S., January 20, 2026.

A general view of U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., U.S., January 20, 2026.

REUTERS/Nathan Howard/File Photo
US Supreme Court strikes down bulk of Trump’s tariffsIn a massive blow to US President Donald Trump’s trade and foreign policy agenda, the US’s top court ruled that the president overstepped his authority when he used the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose tariffs. The decision was 6-3. Trump was the first US leader to [...]
​A poster featuring Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, is installed on a sign leading to the parking area of the Sandringham Estate in Wolferton, as pressure builds on him to give evidence after the U.S. Justice Department released more records tied to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, in Norfolk, Britain, February 5, 2026.

A poster featuring Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, is installed on a sign leading to the parking area of the Sandringham Estate in Wolferton, as pressure builds on him to give evidence after the U.S. Justice Department released more records tied to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, in Norfolk, Britain, February 5, 2026.

REUTERS/Isabel Infantes
Epstein files wreak havoc on Europe’s political elite. Not so much in the USBritish police arrested former Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor today over allegations that in 2010, when he was a UK trade envoy, he shared confidential government documents with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. It’s the first time a British royal family member [...]
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban holds an international press conference in Budapest, Hungary, January 5, 2026.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban holds an international press conference in Budapest, Hungary, January 5, 2026.

REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo/File Photo
Campaign season in EU’s most important election of 2026 beginsThe Hungarian election is off to the races, and nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is facing his most serious challenger in 16 years. Over the weekend, Orbán and his center-right European Parliament member Péter Magyar launched their campaigns, with polls showing Orbán trailing [...]
​February 16, 2026, Strait Of Hormuz, Persian Gulf, Iran: A boat firing a missile during a military drill in the Persian Gulf, southern Iran.

February 16, 2026, Strait Of Hormuz, Persian Gulf, Iran: A boat firing a missile during a military drill in the Persian Gulf, southern Iran.

Credit Image: © Sepahnews via ZUMA Press Wire
Iran shows its leverage over Strait of Hormuz ahead of nuclear talksIran temporarily and partially shut down the Strait of Hormuz – the maritime entryway that handles over 20% of the world’s oil and gas shipping – ahead of a second round of nuclear talks with the US. The move was a show of leverage by Iran, signaling strength to its citizens and [...]