The UK’s position amidst the political tension between the US and much of Europe has been explained
Brits could be in big trouble if Donald Trump makes the decision to cut off US support for the UK’s nuclear deterrent, and here’s why.
Experts have issued desperate warnings to the public after a tumultuous week in world politics, which included an increasing tension between our neighbours across the pond.
President Trump made the move to pull military aid to Ukraine following a verbal clash with the country’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in the Oval Office.
In the days following the public spat, Trump read a letter from Zelenskyy out to Congress, which detailed that Ukraine are ‘ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible’.
While British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer looks to have maintained the UK’s good relationship with Trump and the US, JD Vance soured things when he appeared to claim that the UK is ‘a random country that hasn’t fought a war in 30 years’ (Vance denies the country he was talking about is the UK).
So, where exactly does the UK stand in all of the chaos?
Starmer has urged political figures to ‘find a way that we can all work together’, as pressures around European countries’ relationship with the US grows.
Unfortunately, the US are still in a position to dismantle our nuclear deterrent.
The Trident nuclear weapons system protects the nation against weapons of mass destruction, consisting of four nuclear-powered Vanguard-class submarines, missiles and warheads, according to the BBC.
However, the issue here is that our nuclear warheads are fitted to American Trident ballistic missiles.
They’re carried and controlled by the Royal Navy, as long as they’re onboard the submarines, but in the meantime, they’re stored as part of a joint stockpile divided between the UK and the US, in Georgia.
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Experts have highlighted the risks and eye-watering cost if the US ended their partnership with the UK, as Nicholas Drummond, a defence industry analyst and former British soldier, explained what could happen in an interview with the Times.
Saying it was ‘extremely unlikely’, he went on: “When it comes to support and maintenance, I would say that we are largely dependent on the US for parts and technical assistance. If this was withdrawn, it would also weaken our deterrent.
“Can you imagine a situation where Britain’s relationship with America is fractured and they refuse to give us Trident missiles through the agreement that is in place?”
He chillingly pointed out: “It would render the billions we have invested in Dreadnought boats useless. A terrifying thought.
“Anyone who suggested this a year ago would have been dismissed as an idiot. Now it is a scenario that we need to plan for.”
He’s not alone in believing that we need a Plan B, as Matthew Savill, the director of military sciences at the Royal United Services Institute think tank, gave his opinion on the sticky situation.
“If the US cut off support we would have a load of Trident missiles but at some point we would need to fashion our own missiles with somebody,” Savill said.
“We could in due course replace these things but the cost would be excruciating.”
And with the government potentially having to find billions to maintain the UK’s nuclear deterrent without US assistance, this would undoubtedly have a knock-on effect for the average Brit.
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