Switching your IP address may affect your ping results.
Switching your IP address may affect your ping results.
The IP address itself isn't crucial. Ping relies more on the length of cable and the number of servers or routers a packet must pass through before reaching you—basically the physical distance between you and the server. Using a VPN introduces at least one extra hop for the packet traveling from the source to your device. The encryption and decryption process adds some delay. Speed is another factor. It mainly depends on your connection bandwidth and the server's bandwidth. A VPN can help further improve this, especially if many users share the same overall bandwidth.
Your location in Europe combined with a route through the USA will likely increase your latency by at least 100ms. However, a European VPN might help in certain cases if the path is efficient and offers better connections than your local ISP. Gaming VPNs aim for this optimization. Generally, though, if your ISP functions properly, any VPN will add latency and slow down your connection because it introduces extra distance and processing.