Nukes. But Vice Adm. Terry Benedict -- who runs the U.S. Navy’s nuclear weapons program for its ballistic missile submarines -- said he’s not worried about the U.S./U.K. relationship. “I have no concern,” he said late last week. Brexit “was a decision based on its relationship with Europe, not with us.” But questions remain. The U.S. Naval Institute points out that the two sea services share production of their Trident II D5 missiles, and have been working to develop common missile compartments that will fit into the replacements for both the American Ohio-class ballistic missile and British Vanguard subs.
President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia received the geopolitical equivalent of manna from heaven when British voters opted to leave the European Union, speeding his long-term goal of weakening the most powerful alliance confronting the Kremlin as it seeks to rebuild its superpower muscles. – New York Times