WASHINGTON — Vladimir Putin is more trusted than Donald Trump to do the right thing for the world among citizens of numerous U.S. allies, including Japan, South Korea and seven European NATO members, according to a survey released Wednesday.
Both leaders scored poorly overall in the poll by the respected Pew Research Center. But Trump’s scores in particular point to a stunningly high level of international public distrust in the American president.
The U.S. is obligated to defend all NATO countries under the alliance’s treaty, which was initially aimed at the Soviet Union. The U.S. is also obliged to defend Japan and South Korea, which are threatened by North Korea, under separate defense treaties.
In Greece, Germany, Turkey, Hungary, France, Italy and Spain, more people had confidence in the Russian president than in his U.S. counterpart “to do the right thing regarding world affairs,” according to the poll.
