Plus: Global views of Trump's foreign policies, trust in Mohammed bin Salman and fast facts about Nigeria
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February 10, 2020
** Global Attitudes & Trends
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A biweekly digest of the Center's latest findings from its worldwide public opinion surveys and demographic research · Subscribe ↗ ([link removed])
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VICE PRESIDENT'S NOTE
** What is the purpose of NATO?
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In recent years, the future of NATO has been debated on both sides of the Atlantic. Our new survey of 16 nations highlights diverging trends in public support for the alliance. In Eastern Europe, Lithuanians and Poles increasingly embrace NATO, while to the West, Germans and French express growing skepticism. The obligation of mutual defense is a particularly divisive issue, with many publics reluctant to use military force to defend a NATO ally attacked by Russia. If not for mutual defense, then what is the purpose of NATO? That would appear to be a question on the minds of more than policymakers in member states.
James Bell
Vice President of Global Strategy, Pew Research Center
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** NATO seen favorably across member states ([link removed])
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NATO is generally seen in a positive light across publics within the alliance, despite lingering tensions between the leaders of individual member countries. A median of 53% across 16 member countries surveyed ([link removed]) have a favorable view of the organization, with only 27% expressing a negative view. But there is widespread reluctance to fulfill the collective defense commitment outlined in Article 5 of NATO’s founding treaty.
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** Before Soleimani’s death, concerns about Iran had fallen in many countries – including the U.S. ([link removed])
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Tensions between the United States and Iran escalated in the wake of American airstrikes that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani on Jan. 3, 2020. Here are findings drawn from our spring 2019 global survey ([link removed]) about perceptions of Iran as a threat, how other Middle Eastern and North African countries view the country’s role in the region and how people around the world view U.S. policy toward Iran.
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** Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed bin Salman garners little trust from people in the region and the U.S. ([link removed])
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Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is the de facto leader of Saudi Arabia and next in line for the kingdom’s throne. Here are perceptions of Crown Prince Mohammed ([link removed]) in the U.S. and among those in countries in the Middle East-North Africa region.
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** Fast facts about Nigeria and its immigrants as U.S. travel ban expands ([link removed])
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President Donald Trump has added Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, to a list of countries whose residents face restrictions on travel into the US. With the new policy set to take effect on Feb. 22, here are some fast facts about Nigeria ([link removed]) and its immigrants in the U.S., based on previously published Pew Research Center studies.
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** Few in other countries approve of Trump’s major foreign policies, but Israelis are an exception ([link removed])
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Evaluations of President Trump's signature foreign policies generally are negative around the world, according to a new analysis of a spring 2019 Pew Research Center survey ([link removed]) . Similar to the lack of confidence that many people outside the US express in Trump’s performance as a world leader, respondents in many countries disapprove of his international policymaking.
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** Russia and Putin receive low ratings globally ([link removed])
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Globally, people tend to express little confidence in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ability to do the right thing regarding world affairs. And views of Russia itself mirror these negative evaluations of Putin. In most of the 33 countries surveyed by Pew Research Center in 2019, ([link removed]) less than half of adults see Russia favorably.
** In the news
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Xi’s wider fight with U.S. is only just beginning after trade deal ([link removed])
Bloomberg
L’immigration illégale recule en Europe ([link removed])
Le Figaro
70% of Israelis have confidence in Trump and United States ([link removed])
The Jerusalem Post
** Notable global research
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Democracy Index 2019 ([link removed])
Economist Intelligence Unit
Special Eurobarometer - Passenger Rights ([link removed])
European Commission
Global Economic Prospects, January 2020 ([link removed])
World Bank
** From our research
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50% ([link removed])
The median share across 16 NATO member states who say their county should not defend ([link removed]) an ally against a Russian attack.
** Support Pew Research Center
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Please support Pew Research Center with a contribution on the Center’s behalf to our parent organization, The Pew Charitable Trusts.
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Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank. As a neutral source of data and analysis, Pew Research Center does not take policy positions.
© 2020 Pew Research Center
