The move appears to offer both countries’ nuclear weapons as a deterrent for all of Europe while establishing greater independence from any safety net provided by the U.S.’s much larger arsenal.

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — France and the United Kingdom, Europe’s two nuclear-armed powers, have agreed to coordinate their atomic arsenals in response to major threats against the continent. The decision comes as part of a series of defense agreements signed by French President Emmanuel Macron and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday.

France and Britain on Thursday agreed to reinforce cooperation over their respective nuclear arsenals as the two European powerhouses seek to respond to growing threats to the continent and uncertainty over their U.