Reference News Network, October 27 - According to the UK's Daily Telegraph website on October 25, UK defense leaders have stated that the UK must consider sharing nuclear weapons with Germany to address the "significant" threat posed by Russia.

Senior leaders, including a former Chief of Defence Staff and a former NATO Secretary General, have urged the UK to negotiate a new defense agreement with Berlin.

Germany has already engaged in "strategic discussions" with Paris on how France could potentially provide protection in the form of its own nuclear deterrence.

However, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz hinted that he is eager to discuss similar arrangements with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Sources insisted that such negotiations between the UK and Germany have not yet taken place.

Nevertheless, senior UK defense officials have expressed support for such an agreement. Lord Robertson, a former NATO Secretary General, said: "I welcome this. It is right and appropriate, and it should have happened long ago."

Additionally, growing concerns are emerging that the United States may one day abandon European defense. Since the end of World War II, the US has been an inherent part of European defense.

The UK's "Trident" missile nuclear arsenal is equipped by four "Vanguard"-class stealth nuclear submarines of the Royal Navy.

As part of a long-term agreement dating back to the 1960s, these weapons have been declared to NATO, meaning they can be used for NATO's defense.

Lord Houghton, who served as Chief of Defence Staff from 2013 to 2016, stated that as the US turns its attention to East Asia, there is a "concern" about whether the US will reduce military support for Europe, which would open up discussions on continental European nuclear deterrence.

He told reporters, "Besides France, we must consider the inclusion of other European countries. But is this a good idea or a crazy move? I don't have a definite opinion on this personally."

General Richard Barons, a retired British Army officer, is skeptical about the UK sharing nuclear weapons, insisting that such a plan would never work because it would be deadlocked over who ultimately has the authority to pull the trigger.

"From the moment someone launches the first (nuclear) missile, to the result of human extinction and the world taking 24,000 years to recover, it only takes about 90 minutes," he also said. "With hypersonic missiles, this time will only get shorter."

He said, "You need to reach consensus among 30 countries in a race against time, while your opponent Russia can make decisions alone. This is not feasible."

October 23 marked the first anniversary of the UK and Germany signing the "Trinity Defense Agreement."

Under this agreement, Germany's P-8 maritime anti-submarine patrol aircraft will be deployed to the RAF Lossiemouth base in Scotland to track Russian underwater fleets in the North Atlantic.

As part of the agreement, discussions on nuclear capabilities are also underway. However, a Ministry of Defence source in the UK stated that this is still far from "sharing nuclear weapons." (Translated by Xu Yanhong)

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7565736246430024192/

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