Washington. October 30. INTERFAX - US allies hope that US President Joe Biden at the G20 summit will confirm the immutability of the principles of the use of nuclear weapons, The Financial Times newspaper reports.
According to her, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan and Australia are putting pressure on Washington, ensuring that Biden does not abandon the principle of preemptive strike in the event of an immediate threat to US security. They fear that the agreement of the United States to commit itself not to use nuclear weapons first may weaken the American "nuclear umbrella" covering them.
In addition, such a transformation of the principle of the use of nuclear weapons "will be a huge gift to Russia and China," according to one of the European officials quoted by the publication.
The allies share concerns that a revised nuclear policy stance could undermine long-standing deterrence efforts against Russia and China, and want the US to limit its authorization to use nuclear weapons only to prevent an attack on the US or strike back.
On Friday, Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron, following talks in Rome, declared their readiness to work together to solve security problems in Europe, as stated in a joint statement of the two leaders distributed by the White House following the meeting.
"Given the deteriorating security situation in Europe, we confirm that a reliable and unified nuclear alliance is extremely important. In light of this security environment, the allies should continue close consultations on nuclear weapons and arms control issues, especially within the framework of NATO," it says.
