Most Finns believe the “rules‑based international order” has already collapsed, and confidence in the United States as a defense partner has fallen sharply, a University of Helsinki survey showed Tuesday.
Seventy‑one percent of respondents said the global order built on shared rules has broken down, while 74 percent said Europe should continue defending international norms and agreements.
Trust in Washington’s security commitments dropped further: 79 percent said the United States cannot be relied upon to defend Finland in a crisis, and only 13 percent expressed confidence. Roughly one‑tenth said the U.S. would stand by its NATO allies under the current administration.
Eighty‑seven percent favored reducing dependence on U.S. weapons technology, and 79 percent supported cutting reliance on American digital infrastructure. Support for NATO membership fell to 73 percent, down 10 points from its peak two years ago.
The university said the trend reflects “increased uncertainty due to the changed positioning of the United States and internal tensions within the alliance.” Lead researcher Hanna Wass told national broadcaster Yle that official Finnish statements on U.S. relations increasingly diverge from public opinion.
The survey, conducted March 31–April 14 among 3,141 Finns aged 15 to 93, had a margin of error of 1.8 percentage points.
