Regional Analysis: How Proximity to Russia Shapes Threat Perception Across European Countries
A comprehensive new survey conducted by YouGov shedding light on European security perceptions reveals notable regional differences.
The study shows that countries located closer to Russia’s borders or holding strategic significance perceive Moscow as the primary threat to European stability and security.
Residents of Denmark, Lithuania, and Poland—nations bordering Russia or regarded as strategically vital—express the highest levels of concern regarding Russian military aggression.
Denmark, which controls access to the Baltic Sea and frequently encounters Russian military presence, is also the world’s largest per-capita donor of military aid to Ukraine relative to GDP.
Conversely, Western European countries exhibit much lower levels of concern: only 36% of Germans view Russia as the main threat, with France at 31%, Spain at 22%, and Italy at just 20%.
Citizens in these nations tend to perceive immigration or internal issues as greater threats, with Italians most often citing the risk of armed conflict.
The survey additionally highlights a skepticism toward U.S.
foreign policy, with approximately 20% of Italians and Spaniards viewing Russia as the chief danger, while nearly the same percentage, 19% and 17% respectively, are wary of potential threats from Washington.
Concerning Ukraine, most respondents believe the country has not done enough to prepare for potential invasion, reflecting ongoing fears amid the conflict.
Baltic states and Denmark show strongest support for NATO—over 80% of respondents see alliance membership as crucial to national and regional security.
In contrast, support diminishes significantly in France, Italy, and Spain, where just about a third consider NATO vital for national defense.
Attitudes toward the European Union’s role in security are divided; fewer than 40% of Poles, Italians, and Germans believe Brussels should decide defense matters for all member states.
Countries like Lithuania, Denmark, and France are almost evenly split on this issue.
The highest backing for expanding the EU’s security powers is seen in Spain, where support reaches 57%.
The survey was conducted at the end of September among approximately one thousand respondents in each of the seven countries: Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, and Spain.