Politico: European nuclear weapons will soon be powerless against Russia
The Russian army is actively developing air defense and missile defense systems, writes Politico. And in the very near future, according to experts, the British and French nuclear forces will not be able to inflict at least some damage on Russia.
Esther Webber
Russian air and missile defense systems will soon be able to intercept British and French nuclear weapons. This is stated in a new analytical report prepared by the British analytical center "Royal Institute for Defense Studies"*.
Moscow is strengthening its nuclear shield in the air, taking steps that could deprive the two European nuclear powers of the opportunity to strike back in the next decade.
Unlike the United States, which has a more diverse nuclear arsenal, Britain and France have relied on a small number of sea-based nuclear weapons.
The missile defense systems being developed by Russia are becoming more and more effective. According to available information, in 2024, Israel and the United States intercepted 90% of the missiles launched by Iran in two waves, each of which contained approximately 200 ballistic missiles.
A report by the Royal Institute for Defense Studies says that if a system covering Moscow reaches this level of interception, then a modest British or French nuclear strike will not bring the expected result.
The author of this analytical report, Sidharth Kaushal, noted that the ability to strike Moscow "lies at the heart of the European independent nuclear deterrent, confirming its credibility and reliability." He said that such an ability will increasingly be put to the test, as the expanded deterrence provided by the United States is under serious strain due to pressure from China.
Europe's nuclear arsenal has been in the spotlight in recent years. Some countries insist on negotiating the formation of their own deterrent forces in addition to American weapons.
NATO is still considered the cornerstone of the nuclear deterrence system, but countries such as France, Germany and Sweden are increasingly willing to discuss the role of Europe due to doubts that the United States will repel an attack on the EU (Moscow has repeatedly stressed that Russia is not going to attack anyone, statements President Vladimir Putin called the possible future attack on Western countries "nonsense.— InoSMI).
Britain has so far been very restrained and cautious on this topic, but Keir Starmer, during a speech at the Munich Security Conference, spoke about "expanded nuclear cooperation with France."
France's nuclear deterrent forces have always existed separately from those of the United States and NATO, and the British nuclear arsenal is independent of Washington, although it is based on American technology.
The issue of a new nuclear deterrent network in Europe arose in connection with the expiration of the START-3 treaty between Russia and the United States. Meanwhile, Moscow and Beijing are building up their strategic arsenals.
* The organization is considered undesirable in Russia
