For the first time, France and the United Kingdom have signed a declaration pledging to coordinate their nuclear response strategies if faced with an attack. The agreement comes as Russia continues its war in Ukraine and follows pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump for European nations to bolster their defense capabilities.
How many nuclear weapons do France and the UK have?
France and the U.K. are the only two nuclear powers in Western Europe. According to The Wall Street Journal, they possess a combined total of about 515 nuclear warheads. While that number is far lower than the stockpiles held by the U.S. and Russia, experts consider it a credible deterrent.
Both France and the U.K. are members of NATO, which holds that an attack on one member is an attack on all. However, until now, their nuclear arsenals were considered outside the bounds of NATO’s collective defense policy. This new agreement signals a shift aimed at reassuring other European allies by strengthening regional deterrence beyond traditional NATO frameworks.
Trump’s influence
Trump has long pushed European nations to invest more in their defense and reduce reliance on the United States. At a recent NATO summit, European leaders pledged to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP, following Trump’s calls for greater self-sufficiency.
“This marks a major evolution in the relationship between France and the U.K. and for European defense,” said Jean-Louis Lozier, a former French navy officer.
Phillips O’Brien, a professor of strategic studies at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, added, “It’s decoupling from the U.S. without saying it.”
French President Emmanuel Macron, who announced the initiative during a state visit to the U.K., has been a vocal advocate for European defense autonomy. While previous European military coordination efforts often fell short of real action, analysts say the growing influence of Trump has changed the stakes.
Ivo Daalder, former U.S. ambassador to NATO under the Obama administration, previously told Politico that Trump’s renewed push has provided Europe with “a road map for Europeanizing NATO that you never had before and that ultimately will lead to a more successful alliance.”
He added that everyone involved wants to move in that direction.
Click this link for the original source of this article.
Author: Craig Nigrelli
This content is courtesy of, and owned and copyrighted by, https://straightarrownews.com and its author. This content is made available by use of the public RSS feed offered by the host site and is used for educational purposes only. If you are the author or represent the host site and would like this content removed now and in the future, please contact USSANews.com using the email address in the Contact page found in the website menu.
