A new YouGov survey has found that between 41% and 55% of respondents in Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain think another world war is likely to occur within the next five to 10 years.
The vast majority expect that such a conflict would involve the use of nuclear weapons.
The research interviewed 7,095 people in the five European countries in the first two weeks of April.
If another world war did break out, the respondents expect that their nation would be involved, ranging from 66% in Italy to 89% in Great Britain.
Yet there is also a clear sense that European militaries are not prepared for a global conflict.
Only France believes that its armed forces could effectively defend the country in the event of World War III, at 44%.
The other four countries lack confidence in their armed forces’ ability to defend their country, especially Germany, where only 16% have confidence and Italy, with 20%.
However, survey respondents were likely to take part militarily if another world war did break out.
Britain had the highest percentage of participants at 89%, while Italy had the lowest at 66%.
Where might the next threat to European countries come from?
Russia tops the list as the biggest obstacle to peace in Europe, with up to 82% of Western Europeans seeing it as a major or moderate threat on the continent.
Islamic terrorism is the second biggest threat, with Germany being the European country most concerned about this issue at 78%.
As Donald Trump continues to make controversial foreign policy moves, more than half of the surveyed people in Spain, Germany and France see tensions between Europe and the US as a major or moderate threat to continental peace.
Since the start of his second term, Trump has made threats against Greenland, and caused confusion with his shifting stance on the war in Ukraine.
Greenland is home to about 40 of the 50 critical minerals that the US considers vital to its national security.
These minerals, which include uranium and graphite, are essential for manufacturing and global supply chains, although Greenland’s resources remain largely unexplored.
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