Survey: Most Romanians believe NATO will defend Romania, in context of risk of war in Ukraine

  Over 70% of Romanians believe that NATO will defend Romania, in the context of a growing risk of war in Ukraine, according to an opinion poll conducted by INSCOP Research.Asked whether NATO will defend Romania or not, in the context of the increasing risk of war in Ukraine, 70.3% of Romanians answered affirmatively, while 20.3% answered negatively, while 9.4% didn't know or didn't answer.Regarding NATO membership, 76.2% of respondents believe that Romania shouldn't exit the North Atlantic Alliance, while 18.7% support the contrary. The weight of non-response is 5.1%.The sociological research also reveals that 74.7% of those interviewed (compared to 68.1% - September 2021, 73.8% - June 2021, and 75.4% in March 2021) express their agreement with the statement "the existence of US military bases in Romania would help defend Romania in case of foreign aggression," 20.6% express their disapproval (compared to 24.9% - September 2021, 20.23% in June 2021, and 20% in March 2021), and 4.7% don't know or wouldn't answer the question.Furthermore, 72.6% of respondents consider that the European Union should establish its own army to defend member-states, 20.8% believe the contrary, and 6.5% don't know or wouldn't answer.In the opinion of 77% of those interviewed, the West (meaning the EU, USA, NATO) is the direction towards which Romania should be heading from the point of view of political and military alliances. 10.4% believe that Romania should head towards the East (meaning Russia, China). The weight of non-response is 12.6%.In the future, Europe and the West will be more powerful in the opinion of 63.9% of responders, while 27% believe the opposite, while 9.1% don't know or won't answer.Of the countries and organizations enumerated, Romanians have the highest level of trust in NATO (60.6% over 49.4% - in March 2021); 55.9% of Romanians have very high and high trust in the European Union (compared to 51.6% - in March 2021) and 51.8% have high and very high confidence in Germany (over 57.6% - in March 2021). Of those interviewed, 50% state that they have high or very high confidence in the United States of America (over 47.2% - in March 2021). France benefits from high and very high trust from 38.5% of the responders. Trust in Russia and China is situated under 20%. Thus, 18% of Romanians state that they trust Russia (compared to 16% - in March 2021) and 17.2% in China (compared to 19% - in March 2021).According to the poll, 34.4% of those interviewed stated that they have high and very high confidence in the President of the United States of America, Joe Biden, 33.1% in the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, 24.8% in the French President, Emanuel Macron, 23.3% in Russian President Vladimir Putin, and 19.3% in the Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orban.The opinion poll "Public distrust: West vs. East, the ascension of the nationalist current in the era of misinformation and the phenomenon of fake news" - the 4th edition was conducted by INSCOP Research in partnership with Verifield upon the order of the think-tank Strategic Thinking Group, as part of a research project supported by The German Marshall Fund of the United States and financed by the Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation through True Story Project.