Europe considers creating its own nuclear deterrent amid uncertainty with U.S. - Bloomberg
For the first time since the end of the Cold War, Europe has begun to seriously consider the possibility of creating its own nuclear deterrent.
This was reported by Bloomberg, citing informed sources, according to Censor.NET.
The US suspends intelligence sharing with Ukraine
According to the agency's sources, the impetus for the intensification of discussions was the temporary suspension of intelligence sharing between the US and Ukraine in March 2025.
Although the pause lasted only a few days, it caused concern in European capitals and demonstrated that the continent cannot always rely unconditionally on American military deterrence.
The US "nuclear umbrella"
Currently, Europe depends on the so-called US "nuclear umbrella" within NATO, which provides for the deployment of American nuclear weapons on the territory of certain European countries and guarantees collective defense. If this support weakens, the continent may be left alone with Russia, which has the largest nuclear arsenal in the world.
Today, only the United Kingdom and France have their own nuclear weapons in Europe.
Finance and infrastructure development
At the same time, creating a full-fledged European nuclear arsenal would require enormous financial resources and infrastructure development, particularly enrichment facilities, and would also call into question existing international treaties on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.
Experts advise focusing on the development of high-tech non-nuclear weapons capable of striking strategic targets and deterring potential aggression.
"I don't see any chance for full-fledged European nuclear deterrence, but it makes sense to assess how France and the UK can influence the security of the continent with their own nuclear capabilities," said Daria Dolzikova, senior researcher at the Royal United Services Institute in London.
Negotiations
According to sources, consultations are mainly taking place at a high military level—in bilateral or trilateral formats between states with a high level of trust, particularly those that feel directly threatened by Russia and host US military facilities on their territory.
At the same time, the parties are trying to avoid sending public signals to Moscow and to keep the negotiations as confidential as possible.
