UK and France to Coordinate Nuclear Deterrents in Face of Extreme Threats to Europe

The United Kingdom and France will jointly declare that their independent nuclear deterrents can be coordinated and used in response to any “extreme threat to Europe,” the two governments announced Wednesday.

The declaration, to be signed Thursday during a UK-France summit, will affirm that both countries’ deterrents remain under national control but can be aligned in case of major threats. “There is no extreme threat to Europe that would not prompt a response by both nations,” said a joint statement from the UK Ministry of Defence and the French presidency.

French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will formalize the agreement at a bilateral summit in London, concluding Macron’s three-day state visit aimed at reinvigorating defense and diplomatic ties between the longtime allies.

The summit is expected to result in a refreshed defense partnership, with commitments to jointly order more Storm Shadow cruise missiles — known as SCALP in France — and accelerate work on their successor system. These long-range, air-launched missiles have played a key role in Ukraine’s defense against Russia.

Calling the new cooperation an “Entente Industrielle,” the UK said the agreement would make defense “an engine for growth.”

“As close partners and NATO allies, the UK and France have a deep history of defense collaboration, and today’s agreements take our partnership to the next level,” said Starmer.

The leaders will also join a meeting of the “coalition of the willing” — a group of nations supporting Ukraine — and are expected to discuss curbing irregular migration across the Channel.