It's still not clear if the US will send a ship to the New Zealand Navy's 75th anniversary celebrations in November.
If they do, it will be the first visit by a US military ship since 1983. New Zealand declared itself nuclear-free in 1984, and because the US has a policy not to confirm or deny whether their ships use nuclear propulsion, none have visited since.
"We've invited everyone -- including the United States -- and they need to make that call," Prime Minister John Key told Paul Henry.
A Newshub-Reid Research poll showed that perhaps surprisingly, most Kiwis are fine with the US sending a ship here.
Mr Key says the overwhelming support came as a bit of a surprise.
Since the US won't declare whether its ship is nuclear or not, Mr Key will be relying on the expertise of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
"I have to sign a waiver, for which I get advice from Foreign Affairs to say they meet our New Zealand anti-nuclear law -- in other words the ship is neither nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed."
It's not known what ship the US will send. Mr Key says it's unlikely to be one of their bigger vessels, as New Zealand ports aren't particularly deep.
"I hope they come. So many of our other allies and friends or whatever will be there, so it'll be great."
Newshub.
