Upcoming launch of Biden administration in U.S. draws attention to past speech as vice president calling for world without nuclear weapons
Jan. 8, 2021
by Kyosuke Mizukawa, Staff Writer
As Joe Biden is about to assume the position as president of the United States on January 20, a speech he delivered just prior to stepping down as vice president in the Obama administration is now drawing attention. Mr. Biden’s speech brought up the need for the United States to reduce the role nuclear weapons play in national security to realize a world without nuclear weapons. The Chugoku Shimbun analyzed the speech with the help of an expert in an attempt to get a handle on the nuclear policies expected to be taken up by the new U.S. administration.
Mr. Biden delivered the speech to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace on January 11, 2017, nine days before the transition was made to the Trump administration. He spent about 30 minutes summarizing the nuclear policy implemented by the Obama administration over their work of eight years. The video of his speech is still available on the organization’s website.
Calling attention to Mr. Obama’s visit to Hiroshima in May 2016, the first-ever visit to the city by a sitting U.S. president, Mr. Biden stressed that the United States should play a leading role in the elimination of nuclear weapons. Regarding the policy of “no first use” of nuclear arms, which refers to a nuclear power’s pledge not to use nuclear weapons unless first attacked by an adversary with nuclear weapons, he made it clear that he advocated the policy. Mr. Obama considered adopting this policy after visiting Hiroshima, but gave up on the idea based on the concerns voiced about how that policy could weaken the power of nuclear deterrence.
Mr. Biden also touched on the importance of concluding the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) with Russia, as well as the threat of nuclear terrorism. Hiromichi Umebayashi, 83, special advisor for Peace Depot, a private research institution associated with nuclear and peace issues based in Yokohama, has introduced the Japanese translation of the speech to his group’s mailing list as a key material for understanding Mr. Biden’s views on nuclear issues.
◆ If we want a world without nuclear weapons, the United States must take the initiative to lead us there. As the only nation to have used nuclear weapons, we bear a great moral responsibility to lead the charge.
◆ It’s hard to envision a plausible scenario in which the first use of nuclear weapons by the U.S. would be necessary. Deterring, and if necessary, retaliating against a nuclear attack should be the sole purpose of the U.S. nuclear arsenal.
◆ We can deter and defend ourselves and our allies against non-nuclear threats through other means.
◆ If additional money is poured into a nuclear buildup, it will do nothing to increase the day-to-day security of the U.S. and our allies.
-------------------------------------------
The Chugoku Shimbun conducted an interview with Hiromichi Umebayashi, special advisor for the Peace Depot and former director of the Research Center for Nuclear Weapons Abolition, Nagasaki University (RECNA), about the vision of the Biden administration regarding this issue. Mr. Umebayashi has paid considerable attention to Mr. Biden’s 2017 speech.
In his speech, what is of most interest to you?
I think it is the idea that a world without nuclear weapons is safer than a world with nuclear arms races, and that nuclear security is not the ultimate framework of security. Mr. Biden’s speech clearly indicates that idea as his own belief.
Therefore, I assume the new U.S. administration will move toward reducing the primacy nuclear weapons have held in that country’s national security policies. We can expect the United States to make a dramatic shift from the current policies of the Trump administration, which has steered in the direction of enhancing the role of nuclear arsenals as the most powerful weapons.
What specifics will the policy have?
It is possible that the U.S. government will announce a no-first-use policy of nuclear weapons. In the speech, such a policy was defined as something that could be achieved. He argued that deterring an adversary’s nuclear attack should be the sole purpose of the U.S. nuclear arsenal. This is the basic principal of the no-first-use policy. Such an approach stands in sharp contrast to that of the Trump administration, which expanded the possible scenario of launching nuclear attacks to also include adversary cyberattacks.
If the no-first-use principle is incorporated into U.S. nuclear strategy, the purpose of the use of nuclear weapons will be narrowed, resulting in the reduction of unnecessary nuclear arms. President Obama looked into adopting the same policy during his presidency, but let it drop without ever convincing the U.S. public of its need. To get it done will certainly require support from the American people.
On January 22, immediately after Mr. Biden’s inauguration, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) will come into force. Within some North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member nations, public sentiment for participation in the TPNW is growing. Such a rise in public awareness among EU nations will also be mirrored in U.S. public awareness. I believe such an increase in public awareness will help push implementation of a policy for reducing the role of nuclear weapons.
What are the challenges in promoting nuclear disarmament efforts?
The new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) with Russia is scheduled to expire in February. Mr. Biden will negotiate with Russia to extend the treaty, and Russia will likely accept the offer. However, the biggest issue is how to sign the next treaty during the New START treaty’s period of extension.
In recent years, Russia has deployed new weapons, such as missiles equipped with hypersonic warheads. Behind this deployment is the fact that the former administration of President George W. Bush pulled out of the Antiballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty and established a missile defense shield to nullify Russian strategic missiles. The obstacles standing in the way of the U.S. signing a new treaty with Russia are significant, with it deemed necessary to consider both offensive and defensive issues.
For Mr. Biden to pursue a policy on nuclear disarmament, a good place to begin would be the Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), which was postponed until August this year. During the conference period, the nuclear superpowers of the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, and China are also scheduled to hold a meeting. At such a meeting, Mr. Biden can gain support from other nuclear nations for matters that cannot be achieved by the United States alone.
To eliminate nuclear weapons and increase support for the TPNW in the international community, it is important for the United States to head in the direction of reducing the role and number of nuclear weapons. When the new administration makes such a move, the Japanese government should support it.
(Originally published on January 8, 2021)
As Joe Biden is about to assume the position as president of the United States on January 20, a speech he delivered just prior to stepping down as vice president in the Obama administration is now drawing attention. Mr. Biden’s speech brought up the need for the United States to reduce the role nuclear weapons play in national security to realize a world without nuclear weapons. The Chugoku Shimbun analyzed the speech with the help of an expert in an attempt to get a handle on the nuclear policies expected to be taken up by the new U.S. administration.
Mr. Biden delivered the speech to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace on January 11, 2017, nine days before the transition was made to the Trump administration. He spent about 30 minutes summarizing the nuclear policy implemented by the Obama administration over their work of eight years. The video of his speech is still available on the organization’s website.
Calling attention to Mr. Obama’s visit to Hiroshima in May 2016, the first-ever visit to the city by a sitting U.S. president, Mr. Biden stressed that the United States should play a leading role in the elimination of nuclear weapons. Regarding the policy of “no first use” of nuclear arms, which refers to a nuclear power’s pledge not to use nuclear weapons unless first attacked by an adversary with nuclear weapons, he made it clear that he advocated the policy. Mr. Obama considered adopting this policy after visiting Hiroshima, but gave up on the idea based on the concerns voiced about how that policy could weaken the power of nuclear deterrence.
Mr. Biden also touched on the importance of concluding the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) with Russia, as well as the threat of nuclear terrorism. Hiromichi Umebayashi, 83, special advisor for Peace Depot, a private research institution associated with nuclear and peace issues based in Yokohama, has introduced the Japanese translation of the speech to his group’s mailing list as a key material for understanding Mr. Biden’s views on nuclear issues.
◆ If we want a world without nuclear weapons, the United States must take the initiative to lead us there. As the only nation to have used nuclear weapons, we bear a great moral responsibility to lead the charge.
◆ It’s hard to envision a plausible scenario in which the first use of nuclear weapons by the U.S. would be necessary. Deterring, and if necessary, retaliating against a nuclear attack should be the sole purpose of the U.S. nuclear arsenal.
◆ We can deter and defend ourselves and our allies against non-nuclear threats through other means.
◆ If additional money is poured into a nuclear buildup, it will do nothing to increase the day-to-day security of the U.S. and our allies.
-------------------------------------------
Hiromichi Umebayashi, special advisor for Peace Depot, shares his outlook on whether the new U.S. government will launch a policy of “no first use” of nuclear weapons
The Chugoku Shimbun conducted an interview with Hiromichi Umebayashi, special advisor for the Peace Depot and former director of the Research Center for Nuclear Weapons Abolition, Nagasaki University (RECNA), about the vision of the Biden administration regarding this issue. Mr. Umebayashi has paid considerable attention to Mr. Biden’s 2017 speech.
In his speech, what is of most interest to you?
I think it is the idea that a world without nuclear weapons is safer than a world with nuclear arms races, and that nuclear security is not the ultimate framework of security. Mr. Biden’s speech clearly indicates that idea as his own belief.
Therefore, I assume the new U.S. administration will move toward reducing the primacy nuclear weapons have held in that country’s national security policies. We can expect the United States to make a dramatic shift from the current policies of the Trump administration, which has steered in the direction of enhancing the role of nuclear arsenals as the most powerful weapons.
What specifics will the policy have?
It is possible that the U.S. government will announce a no-first-use policy of nuclear weapons. In the speech, such a policy was defined as something that could be achieved. He argued that deterring an adversary’s nuclear attack should be the sole purpose of the U.S. nuclear arsenal. This is the basic principal of the no-first-use policy. Such an approach stands in sharp contrast to that of the Trump administration, which expanded the possible scenario of launching nuclear attacks to also include adversary cyberattacks.
If the no-first-use principle is incorporated into U.S. nuclear strategy, the purpose of the use of nuclear weapons will be narrowed, resulting in the reduction of unnecessary nuclear arms. President Obama looked into adopting the same policy during his presidency, but let it drop without ever convincing the U.S. public of its need. To get it done will certainly require support from the American people.
On January 22, immediately after Mr. Biden’s inauguration, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) will come into force. Within some North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member nations, public sentiment for participation in the TPNW is growing. Such a rise in public awareness among EU nations will also be mirrored in U.S. public awareness. I believe such an increase in public awareness will help push implementation of a policy for reducing the role of nuclear weapons.
What are the challenges in promoting nuclear disarmament efforts?
The new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) with Russia is scheduled to expire in February. Mr. Biden will negotiate with Russia to extend the treaty, and Russia will likely accept the offer. However, the biggest issue is how to sign the next treaty during the New START treaty’s period of extension.
In recent years, Russia has deployed new weapons, such as missiles equipped with hypersonic warheads. Behind this deployment is the fact that the former administration of President George W. Bush pulled out of the Antiballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty and established a missile defense shield to nullify Russian strategic missiles. The obstacles standing in the way of the U.S. signing a new treaty with Russia are significant, with it deemed necessary to consider both offensive and defensive issues.
For Mr. Biden to pursue a policy on nuclear disarmament, a good place to begin would be the Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), which was postponed until August this year. During the conference period, the nuclear superpowers of the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, and China are also scheduled to hold a meeting. At such a meeting, Mr. Biden can gain support from other nuclear nations for matters that cannot be achieved by the United States alone.
To eliminate nuclear weapons and increase support for the TPNW in the international community, it is important for the United States to head in the direction of reducing the role and number of nuclear weapons. When the new administration makes such a move, the Japanese government should support it.
(Originally published on January 8, 2021)
