To this end, he suggests, any nuclear sharing with the only nuclear powers in Europe would boost or complement America’s already significant atomic presence on the continent.
“We should always talk with both countries [France and Britain], and in addition, from the perspective of supplementing the American nuclear shield, which we of course want to see maintained,” he explained.
Extending the nuclear umbrella over Europe
Whether you support this suggestion or not, going as far back as the 1960s, it has been almost implicit that the UK and France’s assets already de facto cover most of Europe. For example, in 1964, the BBC reports, Charles de Gaulle publicly suggested that any attack by the USSR on Germany would be considered enough of a threat for a potential nuclear response.