Russia Says UK’s ‘Nuclear Umbrella’ Will Not Secure Europe's Safety
The remarks come amid a broader European scramble to reassess its nuclear deterrence strategy after the White House indicated it would be scaling back security guarantees to its transatlantic allies, redirecting strategic focus toward homeland defense and countering China.
Speaking to the Russian newspaper Izvestia on Tuesday, Ambassador Kelin said it is "obvious that the British 'nuclear umbrella' will not be able to provide any additional material security guarantees" to Europe.
Moscow, he added, is closely monitoring moves by "states pursuing an overtly anti-Russian policy," warning that any expansion of nuclear arrangements would have direct consequences for Russian military strategy. "The possibility of the expansion of nuclear safeguards will be taken into account in our military planning as well as in further discussions of the strategic stability issues," Kelin said.
He also took aim at London's growing ambitions, suggesting that Britain's nuclear buildup was feeding delusion rather than deterrence. "The strengthening of such potential apparently instills in London an illusory hope of leadership in ensuring European security," Kelin noted.
The comments follow renewed calls from European leaders for greater nuclear coordination. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has expressed interest in bringing Germany under the nuclear protection of both Britain and France — the only two European NATO members possessing nuclear weapons. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson similarly announced in January that preliminary discussions on comparable protections had been underway between Stockholm and London.
Britain's nuclear capability, committed to NATO since 1962, comprises 225 warheads deployed across four Vanguard-class submarines. The UK government further announced last year its intention to acquire 12 F-35 fighter jets from the US, aircraft capable of delivering nuclear strike missiles.
At the Munich Security Conference last week, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer argued that Russia could be prepared to deploy military force against NATO "by the end of this decade," declaring it "vital" for Britain and France — notably absent from NATO's Nuclear Planning Group — to deepen bilateral cooperation on nuclear matters.
Moscow, for its part, has repeatedly denied any aggressive intentions toward the continent. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated earlier this month that Russia has "no intention of attacking Europe. There is no reason to do so." He nonetheless cautioned that NATO would face "a full-fledged military response" should it initiate military action against Russia first.
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