Europe talks nuclear weapons after U.S. delivers reality check

When the U.S. briefly stopped sharing battlefield intelligence with Ukraine in March 2025, the results were immediate. Kyiv’s forces suffered decisive setbacks on the battlefield as its European allies watched in horror.

The outage only lasted a few days, but it sent shock waves through Europe as a new reality dawned: Washington was no longer a reliable military partner, and the continent needed a plan B.

Europe has been fighting to keep an increasingly hostile U.S. in NATO while countries race to rearm. And now for the first time since the end of the Cold War, European capitals are discussing how to develop their own nuclear deterrent, according to people familiar with the matter, citing conversations between militaries and governments.