The policy, which Mr Biden campaigned on in 2020, would dictate that the sole purpose of the country’s use of nuclear arsenal “should be to deter - and, if necessary, retaliate against – a nuclear attack”. While allies do not believe the review will include a “no first use” declaration, they fear he is considering a policy known as “sole purpose”. With t he US expected to release its latest Nuclear Posture Review by the end of the year, countries including the UK, France, Germany and Australia are reportedly lobbying President Joe Biden not to abandon the policy of strategic ambiguity on the use of nuclear weapons, the Financial Times reports. Australia is among a number of US allies growing increasingly concerned that the Biden administration will adopt a “no first use” nuclear weapons policy, in a move that could undermine long-held deterrence strategies against China and Russia.
