Most Canadians now see U.S. as top threat, Pew survey shows
A growing number of Canadians view the United States as a greater threat than nations like Russia, North Korea, or Iran, according to a new global survey by the Pew Research Center.
The poll found that 59 per cent of Canadians now see the U.S. as their country’s greatest threat, nearly triple the number who said the same in 2019. The shift in perception comes as President Donald Trump continues to push controversial foreign policy positions, including his repeated suggestion that Canada should become the 51st American state, and his threats of tariffs on Canadian goods.
Despite the rising concern, 25 per cent of Canadians still consider the United States to be their country’s most important ally. That duality, seeing the U.S. as both partner and peril, reflects a growing unease about the direction of America’s global role under Trump’s leadership.
The findings are part of a larger Pew survey of more than 28,000 people across 25 countries. Globally, the results show a drop in favourable views of the U.S. compared to previous years, particularly among Western allies.
In Mexico, another of America’s closest neighbours, 68 per cent of respondents said they now view the U.S. as their primary threat. Meanwhile, countries such as Israel, South Korea and Japan still hold strong pro-American views, with over 75 per cent in each saying the U.S. is their top ally.
The poll also highlighted regional differences in what countries are seen as most dangerous. While North America is increasingly wary of the U.S., Europeans remain most concerned about Russia, especially in Poland and Sweden, where 81 per cent and 77 per cent of respondents respectively identified Moscow as the top threat. In the Asia-Pacific, more than half of respondents in Japan and Australia pointed to China as their primary security concern.
The Washington-based Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan think tank that regularly conducts global public opinion polling.
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