Reply to letter from the Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation by George A. Papandreou, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Greece
Thank you for your thoughtful, concerned letter of March 12, 2002, regarding the implications of the US Nuclear Posture Review on NATO strategic policy.
This Review indeed seems to alter fundamental policies of nuclear arms control and basic assumptions regarding the use of nuclear weapons held by the United States, resonant with the policies of other nuclear powers such as Russia, UK, France and China. Yet there seems to be no fundamental change in NATO's nuclear policy. Since the inception of the Alliance, nuclear weapons policy and use were the exclusive domain of the United States of America. The Nuclear Planning Group did not decide nuclear matters; it was rather a venue of discussion and information, since nuclear weapons of member states of the Alliance were always under national control.
The United States has not brought the topic of the Nuclear Posture Review to NATO for discussion, and has issued no new guidance for the members of the Alliance regarding nuclear policy or use. They consider the Nuclear Posture Review a national matter.
Regarding the specific point of "first use of nuclear weapons" that you raise, my understanding is that NATO has no declared policy on the matter. The Alliance has maintained that it is neither possible nor desirable to specify in advance how it would react in various circumstances of military aggression.
With respect to prospective members of the Alliance, they will assume all attending rights and obligations, and are expected to support existing NATO policies. Furthermore, NATO has stated that enlargement will not require a change to its nuclear policy and has no intention of deploying nuclear weapons on their territory.
Back to Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation letter
Replies from
George A. Papandreou, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Greece
Anna Lindh, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Sweden
Bill Graham, Foreign Minister of Canada
Hubert Védrine, Minister of Foreign Affairs, France
from the Office of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ireland
from the Office of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Portugal
Erkki Tuomioja, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Finland