Britain and France have for the first time explicitly stated that they will coordinate their nuclear deterrent forces

The UK and France have agreed to enhance cooperation on their respective nuclear arsenals to address the growing threats from Europe and the uncertainties surrounding their ally, the United States.

Reuters reported that British Prime Minister Stanmer said at a joint press conference with visiting French President Emmanuel Macron at Northward Military Base on the outskirts of London on Thursday (July 10) that the UK and France signed the Northward declaration that morning. It was made clear for the first time that the two sides would coordinate their respective independent nuclear deterrent forces.

Stammer said, "From today on, our opponents will understand that any extreme threat against this continent will trigger responses from both of our countries." What could be better than this to prove the significance of our relationship?

Macron said that defense and security cooperation is of vital importance to both France and the UK. He pointed out that the situation in Europe has changed and the Franco-British partnership "must also be adjusted accordingly".

According to the Northwood Declaration, any opponent that threatens the core interests of Britain or France may face a joint response from the nuclear forces of the two countries. The two countries will also establish a UK-France nuclear steering group, led by the French Presidential Palace and the British Cabinet Office, to coordinate cooperation between the two sides in areas such as nuclear deterrence operations.

The United Kingdom and France are the only two nuclear-weapon states in Europe. Earlier this year, Macron mentioned that he was willing to discuss France's provision of a "nuclear umbrella" to its European Allies and the deployment of French fighter jets carrying nuclear weapons in other European countries.

The main nuclear deterrent force in Europe comes from the United States and has been a symbol of transatlantic unity for decades. US President Trump's doubts about NATO's responsibility sharing and his overtures towards Russia have raised questions in Europe about transatlantic relations and Washington's commitment to helping defend its European Allies.

Macron said that France and the UK have established a supervisory committee to coordinate their cooperation, and he believes this task is of vital importance. We have decided to take into account the coordination of our respective deterrent forces. This is a signal that both our Allies and rivals must receive."

He also said that closer cooperation between France and the UK has nothing to do with their efforts to support Ukraine in establishing a "voluntary alliance" in the event of a ceasefire with Russia.

Although both sides will retain their respective decision-making procedures and strategic ambiguity, this move does indicate that Europe will receive further protection at a time when the United States' commitment to Europe is being questioned.

On July 10th, Macron concluded his three-day state visit to the UK. During the visit, the leaders of the UK and France also reached an agreement on combating illegal immigration and smuggling, and stated that the two sides will further enhance cooperation in areas such as supercomputers, satellite communications, artificial intelligence (AI), civil nuclear energy and space exploration.