The question is not simply how much we spend on defence, but what we understand defence and security to mean, says SIMON BRIGNELL
AS Trump brutally hammers out a settlement for Ukraine and Russia, he’s also been hammering Europe for vast, cold-war levels of military spending. And European leaders seem very keen to oblige.
Along with Keir Starmer’s so-called peace plan for a 30,000-strong European army, France’s Emmanuel Macron and Germany’s chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz are pushing for a European “nuclear umbrella” — where France could deploy its nuclear-capable jets outside its borders. Merz also wants Britain to step up and deploy its British nuclear submarines to “defend” Europe against Russian aggression.
So what does this “nuclear umbrella” really mean in practice — and what are the risks?
On Hiroshima Day, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament general secretary SOPHIE BOLT explains why the danger of nuclear conflict is growing daily
SOPHIE BOLT argues that spending more on military will harm rather than benefit Britain by diverting vital resources away from essential public services
While millions face poverty and public services are squeezed, France is committing billions to defence spending and weapons production, in a dangerous shift towards permanent preparation for war, says CONOR BOLLINS
We need a government that invests in saving lives not destroying them, argues SOPHIE BOLT



