The figure, down from 16% a year ago, comes from a University of Helsinki survey of 3,141 Finns aged 15 to 93, conducted between March 31 and April 14.
"This is a really weak result showing that Finnish trust in the most powerful ally is low. It naturally reflects, among other things, the reaction to the harsh language of U.S. authorities toward Europe", said Matti Pesu, a researcher at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs and a contributor to the university's NATOpoll project.
Finns also expressed skepticism toward the bilateral Finnish-American Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA), which governs the terms of U.S. troop presence on Finnish soil.
By contrast, 75% of respondents said they trusted other NATO members to defend Finland if attacked, and overall support for NATO membership remained stable at 73%.
Finland joined the alliance in April 2023, abandoning decades of East-West neutrality following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Before the invasion, only one in four or five Finns supported membership; support peaked above 80% during and immediately after the accession process.
(jh)
Source: PAP