Could another European country develop its own nuclear weapons?

[MeganC]

(From Euronews which is owned and operated by Alpac Capital, a company linked to Hungarian President Viktor Orban.)

https://www.euronews.com/2025/03/21/could-another-european-country-develop-its-own-nuclear-weapons

Excerpt:

Building up a nuclear deterrent from scratch is no easy feat, but with the US distancing itself from Europe, the idea has started to resurface.

“Poland must pursue the most advanced capabilities, including nuclear and modern unconventional weapons,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told his country’s parliament earlier this month. “This is a serious race — a race for security, not for war.”

Coming as the Trump administration signalled it is essentially pulling back from protecting Europe, Tusk's statement seemed to suggest a potential lurch toward nuclear weapons proliferation in Europe — something at odds with decades of European policy.

[MeganC]

This is the effect of the US withdrawing from Europe and abandoning Ukraine to the Russians.

European countries will necessarily act to protect their security against Russian imperialism.

They have to.

[Timber Rattler]

Easily.

[Canuck Conservative]

Sweden already drew up plans for their own nukes in the 1950s, then decided not to make them as they went neutral.

"From 1945 to 1972 the government ran a clandestine nuclear weapons program under the guise of civilian defence research at the Swedish National Defence Research Institute (FOA).

By the late 1950s the work had reached the point where underground testing was feasible. However, at this time the Riksdag prohibited research and development of nuclear weapons, pledging that research should be done only for the purpose of defence against nuclear attack. They reserved the right to continue development of offensive weapons in the future.

In recent years declassified documents have shown that Sweden was much closer to possessing the nuclear bomb than previously thought. By 1965 most of the bomb was already built and another 6 months would have been needed to arm it, had the project been given the green light. Another two bombs would have been built shortly thereafter ..."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedish_nuclear_weapons_program

[MeganC]

Sweden already drew up plans for their own nukes in the 1950s, then decided not to make them as they went neutral.

"From 1945 to 1972 the government ran a clandestine nuclear weapons program under the guise of civilian defence research at the Swedish National Defence Research Institute (FOA).

By the late 1950s the work had reached the point where underground testing was feasible. However, at this time the Riksdag prohibited research and development of nuclear weapons, pledging that research should be done only for the purpose of defence against nuclear attack. They reserved the right to continue development of offensive weapons in the future.

In recent years declassified documents have shown that Sweden was much closer to possessing the nuclear bomb than previously thought. By 1965 most of the bomb was already built and another 6 months would have been needed to arm it, had the project been given the green light. Another two bombs would have been built shortly thereafter ..."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedish_nuclear_weapons_program

I recall an article from the past few years posted elsewhere with a list of countries that likely possessed secret nukes.

Israel, Japan, Taiwan, South Africa, Australia, and Sweden were on the list.

[Smokin Joe]

I recall an article from the past few years posted elsewhere with a list of countries that likely possessed secret nukes.

Israel, Japan, Taiwan, South Africa, Australia, and Sweden were on the list.

South Africa had nukes. If they secretly have any, it is because they retained some, not a clandestine program. They developed, then relinquished their nuclear weapons in 1989, about the time that the writing was on the wall that government there was going to change. The writing was on the wall, and I have little doubt those in power decided it was better not to hand over a nuclear arsenal to those coming into power, aided by even Disney's objection to the government there. Within 5 years, the change had occurred which has led to white farmers being butchered for their land today. The decision to not pass a nuclear arsenal on to the current government was a wise one.