Britain ‘must prepare in case Trump pulls support for Trident’ nukes

Britain must start preparing for the ‘terrifying’ possibility Donald Trump may pull US support for the UK’s nuclear deterrent, experts have warned.

The UK has its own nuclear warheads but fits them to American made and maintained Trident ballistic missiles carried in the Royal Navy’s Vanguard Class submarines.

While the Navy has total control of the missiles once they are aboard the subs, they are drawn from a joint US/UK stockpile based in Georgia.

There has never been an issue with access to Trident, but amid Trump’s cooling of transatlantic support for Europe and efforts to suck up to autocratic Russia, experts have suggested the UK cannot afford to just hope for the best.

Some suggested that the UK start talking to other allies including France about nuclear weapons.

Nicholas Drummond, a defence industry analyst and former British soldier, told the Times it was ‘extremely unlikely’ Trump would do something as seismic as pulling support for UK nukes.

But he added: ‘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 If this was withdrawn, it would also weaken our deterrent.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?

‘It would render the billions we have invested in Dreadnought boats useless. A terrifying thought.

The UK has its own nuclear warheads but fits them to American made and maintained Trident ballistic missiles carried in the Royal Navy’s Vanguard Class submarines.

While the Navy has total control of the missiles once they are aboard the subs, they are drawn from a joint US/UK stockpile based in Georgia.

There has never been an issue with access to Trident, but amid Trump’s cooling of transatlantic support for Europe and efforts to suck up to autocratic Russia, experts have suggested the UK cannot afford to just hope for the best.

‘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.’

Matthew Savill, the director of military sciences at the Royal United Services Institute think tank, added: ‘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.

‘We could in due course replace these things but the cost would be excruciating.’

French President Emmanuel Macron said last night he would confer with allies about the prospect of using France’s nuclear deterrent to protect the continent in the face of threats from Russia at a summit of EU leaders.

They are set to address the issue of deterrence, among other topics, during the Thursday summit in the Belgian capital focusing on support for Ukraine and wider defence.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky is also invited to the meeting.

European Nato allies have for decades counted on the powerful US deterrent.

‘Europe’s future does not have to be decided in Washington or Moscow,’ Mr Macron said, warning that ‘the innocence of the last 30 years’ which followed the 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall is ‘now over’.

Britain ‘must prepare in case Trump pulls support for Trident’ nukes

The UK Defence Secretary is expected to discuss the US decision to pause intelligence-sharing with Ukraine with his counterpart in Washington while the European leaders hold crisis talks.

John Healey will join Pete Hegseth on Thursday for a bilateral meeting on a possible peace plan while efforts continue to bridge a transatlantic rift over the country’s future security.

Mr Healey’s trip was agreed last week after Sir Keir Starmer announced a rise in the UK’s defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP, and comes as the US suspended intelligence-sharing and military aid to Ukraine.

CIA director John Radcliffe told Fox Business Network on Wednesday there has been a ‘pause’ on ‘the intelligence front’ following Donald Trump’s fractious Oval Office confrontation with Volodymyr Zelensky last week.

The decision could affect Ukraine’s ability to effectively use long-range western weapons, such as US-made Himars launchers and deprive Kyiv of advance information about potential incoming threats.

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