Trump's policy, amid his "turn towards Moscow," pushes allies to consider their own nuclear shield - FT
Kyiv • UNN
Trump's rapprochement with Moscow and criticism of NATO are forcing Germany, Poland, Korea, and Japan to consider their own nuclear shield.
During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union were able to agree on at least one thing: nuclear proliferation was bad for everyone. But under the presidency of Donald Trump in the United States, his rapprochement with Moscow and critical attitude towards NATO are forcing long-standing allies such as Germany, Poland, South Korea, and Japan to consider the possibility of creating their own nuclear shields, reports the Financial Times, writes UNN.
Details
Now, under Donald Trump, that certainty has never seemed weaker. The US president's pivot towards Moscow and his stark disregard for NATO have prompted old allies — from Berlin and Warsaw to Seoul and Tokyo — to confront what once seemed unthinkable: how to prepare for a potential US withdrawal of its nuclear shield
Risks to international stability
Ankit Panda, an analyst at the Carnegie Endowment and author of "The New Nuclear Age," notes that the erosion of the global consensus on nuclear non-proliferation is very real. "The Trump phenomenon has been a powerful accelerator for voices in US allied states who now see nuclear weapons in their own hands as a fundamental solution to the problem created by America's unreliability," he says.
Under the NPT, only five states – the US, Russia, China, France, and the UK – are allowed to possess nuclear weapons. At the same time, India, Israel, and Pakistan, which did not sign the treaty, have also developed nuclear weapons, and North Korea became the first country to officially withdraw from the NPT, the publication writes.
Europe and the possibility of nuclear autonomy
Friedrich Merz, a candidate for German Chancellor, recently stated that Europe should consider the option of nuclear deterrence with the participation of Great Britain and France. This proposal caused a stir in German society, as the country has always positioned itself as a proponent of peace.
In Poland, the topic is becoming even more relevant. Prime Minister Donald Tusk for the first time openly spoke about the possibility of acquiring nuclear weapons or at least concluding a nuclear partnership agreement with France. At the same time, President Andrzej Duda expressed the opinion about the deployment of American warheads in Poland.
Duda calls on US to move nuclear warheads to Polish territory - FT13.03.25, 10:00 • 20770 views
"Suddenly, there are many words and different opinions about what to do, but they all show that Poland believes in strengthening nuclear deterrence against Russia," said Marcin Idzik, director of the board of PGZ, a Polish state-owned defense manufacturer.
Asia: growing nuclear ambitions
In South Korea, the rapid expansion of North Korea's nuclear program and its cooperation with Moscow are increasing concerns. More and more politicians are advocating for preparations for the possible creation of their own nuclear potential.
Japan, which has significant stockpiles of weapons-grade plutonium among non-nuclear states, is technically capable of developing nuclear weapons within a few months. However, the political and moral barrier to doing so remains extremely high, given its historical experience of nuclear bombings.
A new round of global instability
The developments triggered by Trump's policies could become a catalyst for a review of nuclear strategies in various parts of the world. If the global nuclear non-proliferation system with the NPT collapses, the world could face the reality predicted by US President John F. Kennedy in the 1960s – the emergence of 15-25 nuclear states and "with a greater risk of nuclear war catastrophes," the publication notes.