German, American and POW/MIA flags flutter above Katterbach Army Airfield, Germany, as AH-64E Apache helicopters fly in formation Feb. 2, 2026. Nearly two-thirds of Germans view the United States as one of the greatest threats to world peace, according to a nationwide opinion poll by a German market research firm. (Grant Hockley/U.S. Army)
Two-thirds of Germans view the United States as one of the greatest threats to world peace, surpassing China and edging closer to Russia, according to a nationwide opinion poll.
The survey by the Allensbach Institute, a German market research firm, revealed that 65% of respondents named the U.S. among the countries they believe could pose the greatest threat to global peace in the coming years.
In 2024, fewer than a quarter of people in Germany, which hosts the largest U.S. troop presence in Europe, regarded the United States as a threat to world peace. That number rose to 46% in 2025.
The findings were published Feb. 10, just over a full year into President Donald Trump’s second term.
Russia remains the top perceived threat to world peace among Germans for the fifth consecutive year, with 81% of respondents in the Allensbach poll naming that country.
Meanwhile, China was ranked below the United States for the first time since 2020, with the spread between the two countries being almost 20 percentage points.
The 46% figure for China also marked the first time in five years that fewer than half of those polled said they deem Beijing one of the leading threats to world peace.
In additional findings, more than half of respondents, 54%, said losing the U.S. as a reliable alliance partner would be one of the greatest threats to Germany’s security in the coming years.
That number was nearly equal to the 55% who cited a Russian attack on a NATO member as the biggest security concern for Germany in the future.
The results add to other recent polling in Germany and across European NATO countries showing a deteriorating perception of the United States on the Continent.
In Poland, historically one of the most pro-American countries in Europe and home to about 10,000 U.S. troops, a little more than half of the population believes the U.S. is no longer a reliable ally, according to a poll conducted last month by the SW Research agency and published in the newspaper Rzeczpospolita.
In Denmark, another longtime American ally, 60% now consider the U.S. an adversary, while just 17% still view it as an ally, according to polling conducted last month on behalf of Danish public broadcaster DR.
Recent friction over threats of a U.S. takeover of Greenland, a self-governing Danish territory, has strained relations both in Denmark and across NATO.
Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in acquiring Greenland. While he later walked back references to possibly taking the island by military force, the episode brought widespread unease in NATO.
Trump has further suggested that Washington might not defend allies that fail to meet defense spending targets. NATO responded to his repeated insistence by raising the bar on expected military expenditure, from 2% of gross domestic product to 5%.
Most NATO members, including longtime laggard Germany, have committed to hitting the new mark. In addition, the bloc’s European countries have begun to shoulder more responsibility as the U.S. hands off various aspects of the collective security mission.
While U.S. officials have emphasized that NATO commitments remain intact, the mixed messages have fueled uncertainty among European governments about the long-term reliability of American security guarantees.
That was reflected in the Allensbach poll. The question of whether the respondent thinks the U.S. would provide military aid in the event of an attack on a European member of NATO produced a nearly even split.
The numbers were 35% saying no, 32% saying yes and 33% undecided.
Stars and Stripes reporter Marcus Kloeckner contributed to this report.
