On February 28th, 1987, a stunning development in international diplomacy happened. Mikhail Gorbachev, the leader of the Soviet Union, announced in preparation to sign a deal that would eradicate medium-range nuclear weapons from Europe.
This groundbreaking offer by Gorbachev led to a breakthrough in negotiations and ultimately resulted in the signing of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in December 1987.
Since their first face-to-face meeting in 1985, Gorbachev and President Ronald Reagan had been grappling with the issue of nuclear arms reduction in Europe. Despite high hopes for an agreement during their second meeting in 1986, the talks were stalled when Gorbachev linked the elimination of U.S. and Soviet INF in Europe to the United States’ termination of its development of the Strategic Defense Initiative, known as the “Star Wars” anti-missile defense system.
Reagan & Gorbachev Signing INF Treaty
Both Gorbachev and Reagan faced increasing pressure to find a compromise. “No-nuke” forces in the United States and Western Europe were mounting attacks against Reagan, and by the end of 1986, he was also dealing with the fallout from the Iran-Contra scandal. For Gorbachev, reducing nuclear armaments was a strategic move to bolster his international reputation and provide much-needed relief for the struggling Soviet economy, weighed down by massive military expenditures.
Gorbachev said that the Soviet Union was willing to move forward with negotiations on the INF Treaty, proposing that
the problem of medium-range missiles in Europe be singled out from the package of issues and that a separate agreement on it be concluded, and without delay.
He was effectively relinquishing his demand to include SDI in the negotiations.
Interestingly, Gorbachev’s offer came at a time when many observers in the United States believed it was no coincidence. Some speculated that Gorbachev might have thought Reagan would be eager for a settlement, mainly as his administration was under fire due to the Iran-Contra controversy.
In December of 1987, the two leaders met and signed the INF Treaty, which led to the elimination of approximately 1,500 medium-range missiles from Europe by the Soviet Union, while the United States removed nearly half that number.
The signing of the INF Treaty marked a significant step forward in the global effort to reduce nuclear weapons and improve international relations. Gorbachev’s bold move paved the way for future cooperation and laid the groundwork for a more peaceful world.
