Europeans remain uncertain on building own nuclear shield, polling finds

A new survey has found no clear consensus among Europeans on whether the continent should establish its own nuclear deterrent to reduce reliance on the United States.

The findings were analysed by Ukrainian outlet European Pravda, citing the large-scale study conducted by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) across 13 European countries.

In most of the countries surveyed, a relative majority supports the idea of creating a European “nuclear umbrella,” with particularly strong backing recorded in Poland, Portugal, and Spain.

However, opposition outweighs support in Hungary and Italy. In Hungary, 48% of respondents said they were against the idea, compared to 34% in favour. In Italy, 40% opposed the creation of a European nuclear deterrent, while 33% supported it.

Views are also divided among Europe’s existing nuclear powers. In France, 46% of respondents favour expanding the country’s nuclear arsenal, while 32% oppose such a move. In the United Kingdom, 34% support increasing the arsenal, compared to 44% who are against it.

On the issue of defence spending more broadly, majorities in most surveyed countries support increasing military budgets. Italy again stands out as the least supportive, with only 27% backing higher defence spending and 59% opposing it. At the same time, 48% of Italians believe that Russian aggression could potentially extend beyond Ukraine.

The ECFR conducted the survey in November 2025 in 11 NATO member states — the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Denmark, Estonia, Portugal, Hungary, and Bulgaria — as well as in two non-NATO countries, Ukraine and Switzerland.

The findings come as European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius has advocated for the creation of a European Defence Union, arguing that it would allow EU member states to assume greater responsibility for their own security.

By Nazrin Sadigova