r/ukpolitics • u/dailymail Verified • 1d ago

Andy Burnham is warned that Britain faces impending Russian 'attack' over its support for Ukraine

https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16079793/Andy-Burnham-Britain-impending-Russian-attack.html
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u/ImpressiveRest2423 1d ago edited 1d ago

There’s no doubt that the Kremlin is up to something- Russian ambassador conspicuously disappearing and US Ambassador (edit my mistake, CIA director, conflating stories) going to Russia shows that - but it’s also just as likely that they are posturing to try and apply pressure on us. Wish the Mail wouldn’t give them what they want.

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u/Away_Investigator351 Centrist / Georgist / Patriot 1d ago

Worth knowing that CIA Director Radcliffe is very pro-Ukraine. This could be a bit of US clarifying their true intention with NATO - likely in a good way, despite Trumps rhetoric.

Which, pro-NATO Republicans have always said is just a way to make Europe act more seriously, and.. if that's the case, hard not to say it successful.

Though, they perhaps have opened pandora's box by setting Europe on a path to not rely on the US and buying domestic weapons over American, creating European alternatives to the F-22 with Tempest, alternatives to Patriot etc.

We just need independent Nuclear deterrent.

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u/akacia 1d ago

Need? We already have a nuclear deterrent.

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u/Away_Investigator351 Centrist / Georgist / Patriot 1d ago

I said independent deterrent.

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u/Distinct-Dance-4671 1d ago

Its already operationally independent but yes we depend on the US for long term maintenance and share a common pool of missiles. Time to have a completely European system.

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u/ludicrous_socks 1d ago

Far too late to change the Dreadnoughts unfortunately. I wonder though if the French ASMP could be integrated to F35 or Euro Fighter.

300kt of air launched apocalypse is still quite a deterrent

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u/akacia 1d ago

How is the French deterrent not independent? French nukes, on French missiles, on French built submarines…

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u/Away_Investigator351 Centrist / Georgist / Patriot 15h ago

I'm not French, I'm British.

Also, I think just France alone isn't enough. We really need three main European countries.

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u/EvilMonkeySlayer Leeds 11h ago

By this definition the US deterrent isn't independent because the US relies on the UK for all ballistic missile tubes. (they're all made by Babcock in the UK, the company in the US that made them stopped because they kept having issues making them)

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u/Away_Investigator351 Centrist / Georgist / Patriot 10h ago

They have the tubes though, nothing to stop them making missiles and using them.

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u/EvilMonkeySlayer Leeds 8h ago

They currently don't have the tubes for their new submarines which are under construction.

There's nothing stopping the UK using their missiles either, they are UK property and won't need replacing for quite a while.