Manfred Weber, leader of the largest political group in Brussels, has called for a “constructive dialogue” with Britain, apparently with a view to including its nuclear arsenal in an independent nuclear deterrent.

Mr Weber, of the centre-right, European People’s Party (EPP), also voiced his concerns about the future of NATO, with Donald Trump pushing for re-election as US President later this year – as well as acknowledging the “threat” posed by Vladimir Putin’s Russia.

Speaking on the way back from a visit to Ukraine, Mr Weber told Politico: “Perhaps, just to make the options clear, we are now at a point where, after the years and decade of Brexit, we should open a constructive dialogue with our British friends.

“They, too, are having difficulties in ensuring their security. They, too, are running out of money for the two aircraft carriers they have.

“They are also finding it difficult to maintain their capacities. And in this respect, it is perhaps now also right to start an organised structured dialogue with Great Britain.”

With Mr Trump winning the New Hampshire primary for his Republican Party, he is now red-hot favourite to be his party’s nominee in November – and his reticence about future NATO funding has set alarm bells ringing on this side of the Atlantic.

Mr Weber added: “We want NATO, but we also have to be strong enough to be able to defend ourselves without it or in times of Trump.

“Regardless of who is elected in America, Europe must be able to stand on its own in terms of foreign policy and be able to defend itself independently.

“Europe must build deterrence, we must be able to deter and defend ourselves. We all know that when push comes to shove, the nuclear option is the really decisive one.”

Emmanuel Macron, President of France, the EU’s only nuclear-armed nation, has floated the idea of what he called a “strategic dialogue on the role of France’s nuclear deterrent in Europe’s collective security”, Mr Weber pointed out.

He added: “I would like to see the European dimension of nuclear defence as a long-term goal,”

“But as long as this is not realistic, we should take up Macron’s offer and think now about how France’s nuclear armament can also be embedded in European structures.”

As for Russia, currently locked in a bitter war with Ukraine after Putin’s 2022 invasion, he said there was no point downplaying the danger it posed to the continent.

He conceded: “We have to be honest with people.

“We should not hide the reality of the threat situation in the face of Putin in order to somehow create the feeling that things won’t be so bad.”

Separately Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s Foreign Minister, yesterday accused the US, South Korea and Japan of preparing for war with North Korea.

Lavrov told a UN news conference that a new military bloc brought together by the US is building up military activity and conducting large-scale exercises.

All of a sudden South Korea’s rhetoric “became even more hostile towards Pyongyang,” Lavrov claimed.

He added: “In Japan as well, we hear aggressive rhetoric” and it is seriously talking about setting up NATO infrastructure with US assistance.

Lavrov insisted: “They’re preparing for war with the DPRK,” the initials of North Korea’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.”