Ukraine gave up 1,900 nuclear warheads in 1994 on Western promises that didn’t work. New plan would replace them with Britain’s shield instead
Plan pairs Britain’s nuclear deterrent with Ukraine’s army as Europe doubts US protection and struggles to deter Russia.
In 1994, Ukraine relinquished 1,900 nuclear warheads in exchange for Western assurances of protection. However, subsequent Russian invasions have prompted calls for renewed security guarantees. A new plan unveiled to the UK's incoming Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, proposes Britain extend its nuclear umbrella to Ukraine and other non-NATO European states.
In return, Britain would regain access to the EU single market for goods. The proposal, drafted by former Conservative MP Nick Boles, envisions a European Confederation that combines single-market access with NATO-style mutual defense commitments. Ukraine would maintain a robust army and share defense technology with other members of the Confederation.
Britain would increase its defense spending to 3.5% of GDP, while both nations would gain full access to the EU's single market. Boles contends that Europe requires a new security model, as the US cannot be relied upon to defend Europe consistently. While Burnham's government is not adopting Boles' plan, it has been reviewed by officials, including National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell.
However, Europe's capacity to provide deterrence remains limited, with deep-strike missiles not expected until 2029.
Written by urgent.news from Euromaidan Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
