Britain offered its nuclear umbrella 9 to European countries, - media

Great Britain has offered nuclear protection to nine countries of the United Expeditionary Forces Group (JEF). This is reported by the Finnish publication Iltalehti, noting that the agreement is to be signed as early as November this year.

It is stated that Finland, Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden were invited to the agreement. Thus, nuclear deterrence in all these countries will be ensured not only through NATO's nuclear defense system. The publication emphasizes that the operational combat activity of the new JEF forces will not require activating Article 5 of the NATO alliance.

It is reported that a key role in nuclear protection will be played by Britain’s nuclear-powered submarines.

“This initiative by the United Kingdom is significant, because Finland also largely depends on maritime transport in the Baltic Sea. A message from the United Kingdom — a country with long traditions and a powerful navy — that it undertakes to support maritime transport in the Baltic Sea — is of enormous importance,” stressed Admiral Sir Gawain Jenkins, Commander-in-Chief of the British Royal Navy.

Deployment of nuclear weapons in Europe

Recall that this summer, NATO was considering the deployment of nuclear weapons in neighboring countries to Russia — Poland, Finland, and Lithuania. Note that earlier Finland lifted its historic ban on the import and transit of nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, in Lithuania a few days ago a constitutional amendment was approved that allows the deployment of nuclear weapons.

In the Kremlin, the creation of a nuclear shield in countries bordering Russia is sharply criticized. In particular, Russia’s ambassador to Belgium, Denis Gonchar, previously stated that such steps “seriously bring closer the prospect of direct military conflict” with the Russian Federation.