Well-known new Chinese news site The Paper recently reported that, amidst escalating tensions between Europe and the United States, calls for nuclear autonomy are growing louder within Europe. Senior European officials have stated that European countries are questioning the reliability of the U.S. nuclear umbrella. European leaders are discussing whether they should rely more on nuclear-armed France and the United Kingdom than the United States, and even whether they should develop their own nuclear weapons.
European leaders’ discussions on how to defend against a nuclear-armed Russia without U.S. involvement were “both intense and productive,” with options including enhancing France’s nuclear capabilities, and redeploying French nuclear-capable bombers outside of France. Officials also indicated that proposals to provide non-nuclear-weapon European countries with relevant technological capabilities were under consideration as well.
These discussions could overturn decades of global efforts to reduce, rather than exacerbate, nuclear proliferation. There is currently a clear lack of mutual trust between Europe and the United States.
However, some commentators have expressed doubts about the prospects of European “nuclear autonomy.” They point out that France and the UK possess approximately 290 and 225 nuclear warheads respectively, which, even combined, cannot compare to the scale of the U.S. and Russia. Furthermore, the lack of maintenance and upgrades over decades makes it difficult to form an alternative to the U.S. nuclear umbrella. Furthermore, France and the UK will hold presidential and parliamentary elections in 2027 and 2029 respectively. If far-right forces in both countries come to power after the elections, the current government’s commitment to “nuclear independence” risks revocation.
Source: The Paper, January 23, 2026
https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_32448420