New York Times: At the start of President Obama's first term, he pledged to make progress toward a world without nuclear weapons. However, his administration has overseen the establishment of a nuclear weapons modernization plan that is expected to cost $1 trillion over the next two decades. In response to criticisms by nuclear-reduction advocates, Obama has been considering adopting a no-first-use policy whereby the US would promise not to be the first to escalate from conventional war to nuclear war. Doing so would formalize what has been the government's unofficial position for decades. However, it now appears that Obama's advisers have persuaded him to drop the proposal, arguing that it would undermine US allies and embolden nations such as Russia and China.
