Allies are urging US Vice President Joe Biden not to change America's nuclear weapons policy, fearing that a "no first use" pledge may jeopardise long-standing deterrent policies directed at Russia and China.
The lobbying comes as the Biden administration is in the midst of a "nuclear posture review," a regular inter-agency process that determines US policy on nuclear weapons. Treaty allies include the United Kingdom, France, and Germany in Europe, and Japan and Australia in the Indo-Pacific.
According to two people familiar with the correspondence, the US issued a questionnaire to allies earlier this year, and the reaction was strongly unfavourable to any changes in nuclear policy. However, several allies are concerned that US officials have not explicitly communicated the breadth of their opposition to President Trump, suspicions heightened by the administration's reluctance to address partner concerns about the pull-out from Afghanistan and a nuclear submarine agreement with Australia.
