Why would the United States purposely remove the deterrent threat of nuclear weapons in the face of these threats? Any change in our nuclear declaratory, especially at this dangerous time and amid a Russian buildup on the border of Ukraine, would degrade deterrence, damage alliances, and send a signal to Moscow and Beijing that the United States is unwilling to do what is necessary to defend its vital national interests and those of its allies and partners.
The Biden administration should heed calls from our allies, learn the lessons of history, and resist urges from the fringe to change U.S. nuclear declaratory policy. Russia and China are watching the U.S. nuclear-policy-making process with great interest, hopeful that the United States will adopt a new policy that relieves them from worrying about a U.S. response to their aggression.
Just as the U.S. commitment to defend itself and its allies is unwavering, so too must U.S. nuclear policy remain consistent. As President Eisenhower warned, America’s alliance commitments would be untenable if we did not “possess atomic weapons and the will to use them when necessary.”
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