Great Britain is considering the possibility of developing long-range missiles that can destroy nuclear weapons launched from Russian territory.
The Times writes about this with reference to sources.
Britain has made it clear it will work with Germany to develop a weapon with a range of about 2 000 miles (3 218 km), diplomatic sources say. Allies predict that this weapon will be able to fly from Berlin to Moscow in the event that Russia decides to launch a tactical nuclear weapon.
British Defense Minister John Gealy discussed this project with his German counterpart in Berlin on July 24 — he was there as part of a diplomatic tour of Europe.
A diplomatic source said that recent statements by Russian leader Vladimir Putin and others indicate that Russia is lowering the threshold for the use of tactical nuclear weapons, and this is cause for concern.
According to the plans, the long-range missiles will be placed in Germany to replace the American missiles that will be deployed there in the coming years.
Two weeks ago, the White House announced that the US would deploy hypersonic and other long-range weapons in Germany in 2026. Sources at The Times say the US weapons will be a "bridge" to fill the gap while Europe develops its own weapons.
France, Italy, Poland and Germany have already signed a letter of intent to develop long-range missiles in Europe, The Times notes. However, the Germans tried to persuade Great Britain to develop the weapon with them, and media interlocutors claim that they agreed there.
- At the end of June 2024, the leader of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin said that Russia should resume the production of medium- and short-range missiles and decide where to place them. According to him, the US places its medium and short-range missiles "in different regions of the world", which "causes concern and requires a response".