UK, France reveal recent nuclear arms agreement
(MENAFN) The United Kingdom and France have announced a new agreement to enhance coordination between their nuclear arsenals in response to escalating security threats in Europe. Moscow condemned the pact as part of NATO’s openly anti-Russian stance and warned that it would influence Russia’s military planning.
In a joint statement released Thursday, both governments emphasized that their nuclear forces are designed to safeguard their vital national interests. While these forces remain independent, the statement noted they can be coordinated to significantly bolster the security of the NATO alliance.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, speaking alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, praised the “Northward declaration,” cautioning that any severe threat to Europe would elicit a joint response from the two countries.
Macron described the agreement as a clear signal to both allies and adversaries but denied any connection between the pact and potential coalition support for Ukraine should a ceasefire with Russia occur.
Additionally, London and Paris pledged to expand their jointly deployable military units and increase their readiness for potential conflict to deter or respond to threats.
Currently, the UK possesses about 225 nuclear warheads, while France has roughly 290, significantly fewer than the over 5,000 warheads held by the US and Russia, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
Responding to the pact, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov warned that Moscow cannot ignore the combined nuclear capability of Britain and France, two of Washington’s closest NATO partners. He stated that the formalization of this cooperation would be factored into Russia’s political and military strategies.
Earlier this year, Macron suggested debating the extension of France’s nuclear umbrella to European allies, a proposal Starmer opposed, rejecting the spread of nuclear weapons to new countries.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry criticized Macron’s suggestion as “nuclear blackmail,” accusing France of seeking to position itself as Europe’s nuclear protector and warning that such moves would undermine, not improve, the security of France and its partners.
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