Belgians are increasingly referring to the U.S. as an adversary
Belgium is seeing a noticeable decline in trust toward the United States, and now more than half of the country’s residents view the U.S. as an adversary rather than an ally. At the same time, most Belgians support maintaining NATO membership, despite this shift in sentiment.
Belgians’ attitudes toward the United States are changing rapidly, and a new poll reveals a rather cool trend in public sentiment. According to a study commissioned by the Belgian media outlets VRT, RTBF, and De Standaard, more than half of respondents now view the U.S. as an adversary, while only about one in ten sees it as an ally.
The survey, conducted in March by researchers at the University of Antwerp and the Free University of Brussels, recorded a general decline in trust in the U.S. among the Belgian population, and this trend emerged as one of the key findings of the study. “About half of respondents now call the U.S. an adversary, while only about 10% consider it an ally,” the survey results state.
China, according to the same data, is viewed by Belgians with less emotional negativity, although a cautious attitude prevails there as well: approximately 40–44% described Beijing as an adversary, but the majority of respondents still chose a neutral position—“neither ally nor adversary.” Despite a general cooling of relations with the U.S., Belgium shows no willingness to abandon NATO—about 80% of those surveyed support maintaining membership in the Alliance under any circumstances. At the same time, an increasing number of people view NATO as a more European security structure rather than a tool of Washington’s influence.
Separately, the survey revealed strong demand for greater European autonomy: over 80% of respondents support the idea of EU military autonomy and a tougher response to U.S. trade decisions and tariffs.
Additionally, nearly 90% of Belgians stated that the U.S. should not interfere in the country’s internal affairs, which once again underscores the public’s growing sensitivity to external influence and political pressure from abroad. This was reported by Euronews.
The German government has updated the list of weapons provided to Ukraine. It indicates that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have additionally received Gepard anti-aircraft systems, air defense missiles, drones, and ammunition.
Earlier, Sweden decided to allocate a $683 million military aid package to Ukraine. This was the 15th aid package and, at the time, a record for that country.
