MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Major U.S. allies in Europe and Asia are reportedly lobbying the Joe Biden administration not to change America’s policy on the use of nuclear weapons amid concerns that the White House is considering adding a nuclear “no first use” declaration in an ongoing nuclear posture review assessment.
Unnamed officials speaking to Financial Times indicated that the UK, France, Germany, Japan and Australia are among the countries concerned over the proposed change in U.S. policy.
One unnamed official told the newspaper that the administration’s reported mulling of a shift to a ‘sole purpose’ policy – which would limit the use of nukes to deterring a direct attack on the homeland, as a threat to allies.
“This would be a huge gift to China and Russia,” the official added.
Biden ran in support of a ‘sole purpose’ nuclear stance in 2020, and reportedly supported the position during his tenure as Barack Obama’s vice president between 2009 and 2017.
Washington reportedly sent out a questionnaire to U.S. allies on possible changes to America’s nuclear policy earlier this year, with allies said to have provided an ‘overwhelmingly negative’ response. Fears have supposedly been exacerbated by the Biden administration’s recent unilateral decision-making in areas including the Afghan pullout, as well as the AUKUS security pact with the UK and Australia, which other allies were kept in the dark on and which cost France a $65 billion submarine contract with Canberra.
“Allies are essentially, in unison, collectively panicking,” a senior congressional source told the newspaper, adding, “They don’t believe their numerous and repeated overtures are being reported up to Biden administration principals, and to the president himself.”
“Adopting a ‘sole purpose’ nuclear declaratory policy would be soul crushing to U.S. allies and partners. It would gut our credibility,” the source complained.
A NATO diplomat said that allies’ concerns were expressed “in no uncertain terms” to U.S. Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin during his visit to NATO headquarters in Brussels on 22 October.
The administration is expected to conclude its nuclear posture review by the end of the year.