US seeks to ‘reassure’ allies they don’t need nuclear weapons

The Biden administration is working to “reassure” allies that they can continue to rely on the United States to deter nuclear-armed adversaries and need not acquire their own nuclear weapons.

“We are determined to take the necessary steps to buttress this message of partnership and the nuclear umbrella … and I think that has been successful in South Korea,” Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said Wednesday at the Hudson Institute. “We have an existing bilateral dialogue with Japan on nuclear deterrence. And I believe that we will be taking steps, in time, to have also trilateral engagements on these topics as well.”