England is expected to face some tough consequences if Scotland's Sept. 18 referendum results in a split from the U.K., a union that has lasted for about three centuries.

Many British political figures, celebrities and corporate executives along with European Union leaders have voiced their opinions and concerns by pleading with Scotland to stay with the U.K. instead of succeeding.

However, President Barack Obama has remained relatively silent during the debates, calling the issue an "internal matter," even though the U.S. could also feel the effects of a dismembered Britain while Russia challenges Western authority, the Washington Post reported.

Scotland's departure will be peaceful but the transition would not be, as England will have to go through a series of complicated negotiations over the future of British nuclear weapons programs, North Sea oil reserves and its currency, the pound.

Former NATO secretary general and British defense minister George Robertson said during a speech in Washington last week that the succession would be cataclysmic for the U.K.

A position to stay with the U.K. by Obama could sway the election given his popularity with the Scottish people, as he is also believed to have Scottish ancestry. However, the election could also go in opposition of Obama's stance consider Scotland's reasoning for succeeding is based on centuries old grievances toward London, which many Scots view a imperious and indifferent to the welfare of Scottish people, the Post reported.

Although Scotland's population only makes up 5 million of the 63 million total U.K. population that consists of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the U.K. would still lose a third of its landmass and a tenth of its gross national product.

The U.K. would also lose out on revenue from the rich North Sea oil reserves and a place to store Britain's nuclear weapons.

Scotland, which has housed its southern neighbor's nuclear weapons at the Faslane port for quite some time, said it would become a nuclear-free zone.

European security officials worry that if Scotland leaves and kicks Britain's nuclear weapons out, the U.K., the most powerful European entity in the west, will become weak in the face of a looming Russian threat.

Scottish National Party leader Alex Salmond responded to critics by calling their comments "apocalyptic nonsense." He also assured the U.S. government last week during a visit to Washington that Scotland and the U.S. will remain close allies, even after it gains independence.