Finland’s Faith in US Defense Falters Amidst Trump Era Uncertainty
A University of Helsinki-led poll reveals sharply decreased Finnish trust in US military support for Europe, with only 16 percent believing the US would defend European countries, down significantly from 30 percent before Trump’s re-election. This diminished confidence extends to the US-Finland defense cooperation agreement, despite a continued belief in support from other NATO members. While Finns overwhelmingly oppose Russia retaining Ukrainian territory in any peace deal, support for NATO membership itself has also decreased, although it remains above the NATO average. This shift reflects a growing disillusionment with US reliability and a subtle fracturing of consensus regarding NATO.
John Q. Hosedrinker