Renewing the Debate on Nuclear No-First-Use: The Wait is Far from Over

Abstract

A Biden presidency certainly ensures the revisiting of the debate on whether the United States should pursue the implementation of a No First Use (NFU) policy. Today, the United States follows a negative security assurance policy, only threatening first use in “extreme circumstances” against states with nuclear capabilities or those who are not in compliance with their Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) obligations. While the ultimate goal of the United States' nuclear policy should be in the direction of a policy of no first use and a severe reduction of the role of nuclear capabilities in security measures in order to reduce the chances of a nuclear conflict, a premature NFU would cause counter-productive responses to our goal of nuclear non-proliferation while also risking critical assets. Nuclear declaratory policy is all but a waiting game; with adversaries ever-increasing in power, allies concerned with the United States’ level of commitment, and the evolution of non-strategic military technologies, the wait for no first use is far from over.