The Lead
U.K. and France Form Nuclear Weapons Coordination Pact
by Marcia Merry Baker (EIRNS) — Jul. 11, 2025
French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met July 10 at the Northwood military base, outside London, and issued a declaration to collaborate on nuclear weapons. This action was one of three declarations, all explicitly motivated for the purpose of countering alleged threats from Russia, China, and Iran.
At the same time as the U.K.-France bilateral meeting, the Coalition of the Willing grouping of nations held a meeting in Rome aimed at shunting more and more weapons into Ukraine, to “defeat” Russia. Macron and Starmer attended online. Termed the “Coalition of the Braindead” by U.S. strategic analyst Ray McGovern, this Rome meeting also included many national leaders gathered for the fourth international meeting to discuss reconstructing Ukraine, after what several say must be an immediate, unconditional ceasefire. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told the Parliament July 7 that the time for negotiations has been “exhausted”; it’s time for weapons only. Merz made a plea in Rome for sending more weapons to Ukraine. The U.S. representative present in Rome, the first time the U.S. attended the Braindead group, was (ret.) Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, who replied to Merz, “Wir sind hier … in English, we are here.”
This phase of escalated militarism—especially including nuclear weapons—cannot last indefinitely, but will result in end-game nuclear holocaust, if not stopped. The grim reality underscores the significance of each and every voice and initiative to come forward around the world for sanity and mercy. This imperative most immediately applies to action to stop the genocide in Gaza.
The specifics of the French-British “Northwood Declaration” include the statement that France and the U.K. have “decided to deepen their nuclear cooperation and coordination. A U.K.-France Nuclear Steering Group will be established to provide political direction for this work. It will be led by the Presidency of the French Republic and the Cabinet Office and will coordinate across nuclear policy, capabilities and operations.” Points in their other declarations concern, for example, committing to a 50,000-strong Combined Joint Force, to operate with NATO or bilaterally, and for the “CJF structures to underpin the Coalition of the Willing for Ukraine….”
From the U.S. side, President Donald Trump announced July 10 that the U.S. would begin a new way of supporting Ukraine, by supplying weapons to NATO, which in turn, NATO would supply to Ukraine. He said the U.S. would be reimbursed “100%.” Trump told media yesterday, that he will make an announcement about Russia on July 14.
In parallel to military affairs, Trump also escalated economic warfare this week, issuing letters to more than 20 nations on how high tariffs might be on their exports to the U.S. as of August. A spectacular political backfire occurred from this in Asia, at the ASEAN ministerial, regional meetings in Malaysia. On July 10, the same day ASEAN opened in Kuala Lumpur, many member nations were hit with letters announcing new, high U.S. tariffs. These include: 40% for Laos and Myanmar; 36% for Cambodia and Thailand; 32% for Indonesia; 25% for Malaysia and Brunei; 20% for the Philippines and Vietnam. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, set to strut his stuff in the Indo-Pacific, came across as nearly a pariah.
ASEAN host Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibraham denounced the belligerent new U.S. tariffs in his keynote speech, as “geopolitical rivalry.” He said, “Across the world, tools once used to generate growth are now wielded to pressure, isolate, and contain.” But, he vowed, ASEAN members would be all the more resolved to invest and trade more with one another. He said that ASEAN countries must “reject the idea that the world can be carved into spheres of influence.”
In sum, the stark picture this week shows Trump, Macron, Starmer, Merz, and others squared off against the Global Majority. Their specific national targets include core members of the BRICS—Russia, China, Iran, and Brazil.
Not standing still, these are the very nations and institutions in motion to steer a course on behalf of humanity, and a future of peace and development. Next week will be a multi-nation emergency meeting in Colombia, called the Bogotá Summit, to further joint action to stop the genocide by Netanyahu in Gaza. BRICS member South Africa, also co-chair of the sponsoring organization, The Hague Group, helped organize the Summit. The Hague Group, co-chaired by Colombia, was started by eight nations in January this year, with the stated goal of holding Israel accountable under international law.
The underlying premise of such a summit, that we can intervene to stop evil and bring about justice and development, is among the premises of the Ten Principles of a New International Security and Development Architecture issued in November 2022 by Schiller Institute founder Helga Zepp-LaRouche. Akin to her points, a conference is taking place in Beijing this week, titled, “Safeguarding Diversity of Human Civilizations for World Peace and Development,” under the auspices of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Global Civilization Initiative.
President Xi wrote in his letter to the opening of the Beijing event yesterday, “Currently, amid an international situation where transformations and turbulence are interwoven and humanity stands at a new crossroads, there is an ever-pressing need for civilizations to transcend estrangement through exchanges, and to transcend clashes through mutual learning.” The two-event has attracted over 600 guests from 140 countries and regions.
Plan to attend the Schiller Institute international conference opening in Berlin within hours of this bulletin: “Man Is Not a Wolf to Man; For a New Paradigm in International Relations!”
Contents
Strategic War Danger
- Starmer and Macron Sign a Nuclear Entente Cordiale (↓)
- Russia Will Take into Account New Anglo-French Nuclear Relationship (↓)
- U.S. Participation Included in 'Coalition of the Willing' Videoconference (↓)
Collapsing Imperial System
- Trump Issued Tariffs on ASEAN Nations as Their Meeting Opened in Malaysia; Prime Minister Anwar Blasted This Geopolitics (↓)
- Lula Won't Act Rashly Against Trump, But Insists Brazilian Decisions 'Must Be Respected' (↓)
- Bogotá Summit July 15-16 To Coordinate Responses to Israeli Violations of International Law (↓)
New World Paradigm
Green New Deal / Great Reset
Science and Technology
U.S. and Canada
History and Culture
- Poland's President Reports Zelenskyy Denied Any Knowledge of World War II Massacre by Ukraine's Nazi Collaborators (↓)
