Perhaps the most significant news to come out of President Macron’s visit to London this week is the setting up of a joint French-British nuclear weapons alliance. Though we have long assumed that the French would stand with us to deter any nuclear aggression, this was far from certain. In this highly charged world today, perception and psychology have as much impact as physical military capability. This announcement will have far more resonance in the Kremlin than all the shells and missiles that we have promised to produce tomorrow, or rather, in 3-5 years’ time.

Axar.az reports that this was stated in an article written by by British “Telegraph” newspaper columnist Hamish de Bretton-Gordon.

This is also the second major statement on the nuclear defence of Europe in as many weeks. As a result of the Strategic Defence Review, the Defence Secretary announced that Britain is buying the F-35A, the US nuclear capable stealth jet, to carry the B61, America’s tactical nuclear gravity bomb.

Nuclear deterrence relies on parity and equilibrium to be effective, and this stance has been severely shaken by some of the US president’s comments about Europe in recent months. That may have given the Kremlin the indication that the US would not react if Russia used a tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine or even in Europe. The fact that Putin and his gangsters have threatened nuclear attack continuously since the wider war in Ukraine began suggests they are thinking about it in detail. As three days have become three years plus, they may think they can finish off Ukraine quickly with tactical nukes and we would not react.

On one level this makes sense. It is unlikely that the UK would fire a Trident missile, one hundred times more powerful than a Russian tactical nuclear weapon, in such a situation. Some response less than unleashing Armageddon would be called for – and it is this kind of response which is becoming more plausible.

Certainly, our F-35As and the B61 will probably not be operational until the end of the decade, but now that France and Britain have an entente nucleaire, Putin would do well to assume that there would be a French tactical nuclear weapon headed towards his invasion army if he used one of his own on Ukraine. This is a likelihood that will strike fear into his heart as it is not just an invasion army, it is basically the whole Russian army and the basis of his power.

The other important element to the announcement is the agreement to work together on technology and warheads. This is significant, because it could mean that in future we in Britain would not be bound by US control of our tactical option as with the B61.

Europe is looking for strong military leadership as we confront the latest tyrant and nothing says military strength more than nuclear. The intent shown with this deal and the general agreement by most in Europe to spend 5 per cent of GDP on defence (or somewhat defence related things, anyway) is a compelling psychological and physical message to Putin which he will understand – this is his language, which we have taken too long to learn or rather remember.

No doubt the headlines out of this week’s visit will be about boats and migrants rather than bombs and bullets; but if we get our defence wrong, migrant boats full of immigrants crossing the channel will be the very least of our problems.

I for one salute the President and Sir Keir for this at least: realising that Putin only respects strength and ruthlessly exploits weakness. The US President may also at last have found his backbone. If he does not lose it, we might just avoid a wider war in Europe and see a just peace for Ukraine.