While they did not agree on every aspect of defense cooperation, London and Paris found common ground on the essentials at the conclusion of Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte's state visit to the United Kingdom from Tuesday, July 8 to Thursday, July 10: strengthening their shared capacity for deterrence. Military cooperation between France and the United Kingdom has been a long and winding road. But at Northwood naval base north of London on Thursday, the two European nuclear powers signed an update to the Chequers Declaration, which has set the framework for cooperation in this field since 1995.

Credibility in matters of deterrence relies heavily on statements, and on Thursday, France and the UK published a brief five-paragraph document, dubbed the Northwood Declaration, which sets the new tone for continued partnership.

In the most emblematic phrase of the Chequers Declaration of 30 years ago, the two parties pledged that they could not envisage a situation in which "the vital interests of either of our two countries (...) could be threatened without the vital interests of the other being also threatened." As the situation has significantly deteriorated, a second sentence has now been added: "France and the United Kingdom agree that there is no extreme threat to Europe that would not prompt a response by our two nations."

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