Contrary to approval rate back home, NATO faith in US leadership increases: Poll

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According to newly released Gallup findings, people living in NATO countries reported sharply higher confidence in US global leadership during President Joe Biden's first year in office than during Donald Trump's final year in office, signaling support that Biden will draw on this week toward pushing for renewed pressure on Russia.

In January, US President Joe Biden's approval rating reached a new low within the US.

When questioned about perceptions of US leadership overseas, polling from more than two dozen NATO states revealed that virtually all witnessed an improvement in approval ratings in 2021 compared to 2020.

According to the study, Europe's trust in the United States has recovered from lows witnessed under the Trump presidency. According to the findings, the median approval rating increased to 41% from 18% the previous year, however, approval remained below levels recorded in the last years of the Obama administration.

A Gallup editor, Julie Ray, said, “This positions the U.S. very well, compared to the past," adding that “It’s in a better position now than it was with the previous administration, in terms of audiences being receptive and engaging in U.S. leadership and being open to it.”

The information, gathered last year and presented on Wednesday, is part of a global study. Some of the discoveries were made prior to the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan in August, while others were made afterward. Ray said it's unclear what effect that had. In comparison, attitudes toward Russian and Chinese foreign policy remained virtually unaltered, according to Ray.

Germany, the United Kingdom, Norway, and Canada were among the countries with the greatest recoveries, with all seeing gains of at least 30 percentage points. In Eastern Europe, increases were often modest. Despite the resurgence, numerous nations, notably Germany, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Spain, Italy, and France, still have a greater disapproval rating of American leadership overseas than approval.

However, Lithuania, an eastern-flanking NATO member that borders Belarus, was the only country among the more than two dozen questioned to declare a decline. Lithuania likewise had the largest percentage of respondents declining to offer their opinions, and had a net-positive image, with more people approving of US leadership than disapproving.

Biden is scheduled to meet with allied leaders on Thursday, and new sanctions against Russia are expected.

US President Joe Biden is asking for back-to-back summits in Brussels on Thursday, emphasizing western togetherness. 

Biden will seek to "reinforce the incredible unity we built with allies and partners," White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters.

He also said that economic sanctions, imposed by a global network of Western allies to cripple Russia's finances will be deepened.