A new survey of 24 EU countries found that 58% of Europeans do not believe their country is prepared to defend itself wi...

A new survey of 24 EU countries found that 58% of Europeans do not believe their country is prepared to defend itself without outside help, and just 27% say their nation is ready. The poll, conducted in June by Public First and reported by Politico, paints a stark picture of European confidence in its own military capacity. The results show 40% of Europeans would accept relying on other EU countries for military assistance, while only 14% would accept help from outside Europe, including the United States. At the same time, Europeans are almost evenly split on whether the EU itself could defend them, with 41% believing it could and 43% saying it could not. Greece stands out as one of only six countries where a majority said their nation should be able to fight on its own. The others were Finland, France, Poland, Bulgaria, and Romania. Finland posted the highest confidence level of any country surveyed, with 76% saying their country is ready to defend itself, a figure the report links to Finland's mandatory military service and its army's specific training for a Russian attack scenario. The findings come as NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned earlier this year that anyone who believes Europe can defend itself without the US "is dreaming," a comment that angered several European lawmakers. The White House has been pushing European countries to increase defense spending, a pressure expected to dominate the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara. Top intelligence and military officials have also warned that Russia could attack a European country before the end of the decade. Despite doubts about American reliability, most European nations still buy critical weapons systems from the US and depend on American intelligence, space assets, and aerial refueling capabilities. The EU is pushing member states to jointly fund and purchase weapons, and discussions about a future European army are ongoing, though most analysts consider it a distant prospect at best. #Greece #NATO #EuropeanDefense