Reagan Meets Gorbachev: Cold War Thaws in Reykjavik
Reagan and Gorbachev met in Reykjavik, Iceland, on October 11-12, 1986, for what was supposed to be a preparatory meeting before a full summit. Instead, both leaders began trading sweeping proposals. Gorbachev offered to cut strategic nuclear arsenals by 50% and eliminate all intermediate-range missiles from Europe. Reagan countered by proposing the elimination of all ballistic missiles within ten years. For one remarkable afternoon, the two most powerful men on earth discussed abolishing nuclear weapons entirely. Then it collapsed: Gorbachev insisted Reagan abandon the Strategic Defense Initiative. Reagan refused. Both men left angry. But the ideas exchanged at Reykjavik didn't die. The INF Treaty signed the following year eliminated an entire class of nuclear missiles, and START I followed in 1991.
October 11, 1986
40 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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