New More in Common polling for the Sunday Times takes a deep dive into Britons’ attitudes to global affairs in what the public sees as a “chaotic” and “dangerous” world.
It reveals that conflict in Ukraine and the Middle East – along with Donald Trump’s impact on global politics – have fundamentally shifted how Britons see the world and the UK’s place in it.
Our “chaotic” and “dangerous” world
A sense of a stable world order is slipping away. Only half now see the US as an ally, although most view Australia, Ukraine and France as allies. At the same time, four in ten Britons think that the UK is losing power on the world stage, whereas most think that the US and China are gaining power.
Just 38 per cent think there is still a special relationship between the US and UK.
Only 5 per cent think it is certain that the US would defend a NATO ally if they were attacked, and just half think it is more likely they would than not.
Britons overwhelmingly reject the idea that President Trump should be awarded a Nobel Peace Prize – by 76 per cent against with 14 per cent in favour.
Looking to the future, China is the country most widely seen to be on the rise: 67 per cent of Britons say it is gaining power. The US follows, with 50 per cent saying its influence is growing from an already strong base, followed by Russia at 39 per cent.
The public are most negative about the UK’s global influence with 39 per cent believing their country is becoming less powerful. This feeling is strongest among Reform and Green voters, whereas 2024 Labour voters are the only group where more believe the UK is becoming more powerful than not.
Less than a fifth (17 per cent) think we should stop supporting Ukraine now, and more than half (51 per cent) think we should keep supporting Ukraine until they have won back all the territory they had at the start of the war.
Zelenskyy is viewed much more positively by Britons than any other world leader tested.
29 per cent of Britons say they sympathise most with Palestine in the conflict – an 11 point increase since November 2023, and the highest we have recorded.
Britons are worried about Israel going too far in Gaza, but support Israel’s right to exist and think it was right that Palestine Action have been proscribed. Britons also have concerns about the impact of the conflict on religious tensions in the UK.
Britons would overwhelmingly vote to Remain in the EU if given the chance to vote again: 58 per cent say Brexit has been a failure compared to 24 per cent who say it has been a success. Still, Britons are more likely to say that other anglophone countries such as Canada and Australia are allies than to say the same about EU countries such as France and Germany.
At a key moment in the peace process, Britain stands out for its unity on Ukraine. Our new international polling across Britain, France, Germany, Poland and the USA shows strong support for Ukraine, alongside widespread rejection of the proposed peace deal. It also shows how attitudes have shifted since our last cross-country poll in March 2025. Key findings: International public support for Ukraine remains steadfast: Clear majorities across the five countries sympathise with Ukraine, and believe that Ukraine’s defence is important to their own nations – figures that have remained stable over 2025. Across the five countries, majorities reject the proposed peace deal, saying that key elements of the deal are unacceptable and would hand victory to Russia. Britain leads in rejection of the Witkoff deal: Britons and Poles are the most likely countries to say that key elements of the deal are unacceptable. Wider concerns about the US President’s influence on the conflict, with more people across Germany, France, Britain and the US saying he has hindered the peace process than helped it. Even within the United States, fewer than a quarter (22 per cent) believe that Trump sympathises with Ukraine over Russia. And while 53 per cent of Republicans side with Ukraine, only a third (36 per cent) believe Trump does too. Most think that the stakes go far beyond Ukraine: Across all five nations, people believe that if Russia is rewarded with territory, it will embolden further invasions of other European countries. More than two-thirds in every country worry about the prospect of a wider war in Europe in the coming years. Britain is uniquely united on Ukraine: While other countries like Germany are polarised on the conflict, Britain stands out in its unity. Majorities of every voter group stand with Ukraine.
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