Simon Tisdall

As US retreats, plan for a joint nuclear shield deserves consideration

The startling contempt for Europe’s intensifying security concerns displayed by Donald Trump and his henchmen has brought an old, controversial question back to the fore: should Britain and France pool their nuclear weapons capabilities and create a Europe-wide defensive nuclear shield to deter Vladimir Putin’s Russia, if the US reduces or withdraws its support? Trump has not explicitly threatened to cut US nuclear forces based in Europe. But last week, the president said he wanted to halve the US’s defence spending, especially on nuclear weapons. Trump often denigrates Nato, the keystone of European security. Last year, he encouraged Russia “to do whatever the hell they want” to member states that, in his view, spend too little on defence. Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, warned Nato defence ministers in Brussels…

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Guardian Weekly (Digital) - 1 Issue, 21 February 2025

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