The UK and France have pledged for the first time to co-ordinate the use of their nuclear weapons, saying they would jointly respond to protect Europe from any “extreme threat”.
The announcement by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron, during a state visit by the French president to Britain, marks a significant step-up in co-operation between Europe’s two nuclear powers as they seek to respond to a growing threat from Russia.
It also comes as President Donald Trump has cast doubt on US commitment to collective defence on the continent, prompting interest in some European countries, including Germany, for London and Paris to extend their nuclear umbrella.