Word: brezhnevs
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...right." Indeed, the trip is part of a shrewdly orchestrated campaign to dispel criticism that Reagan has failed to involve himself personally in the development of a coherent foreign policy. It began in earnest with Reagan's proposal last April for a summit meeting with Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev and his speech at Illinois' Eureka College-his alma mater-outlining proposals for Strategic Arms Reduction Talks (START) with the Soviet Union. Reagan's address was partly in response to a growing grass-roots sentiment for a freeze on nuclear weapons. Six days after he returns from Europe...
Predictably, Brezhnev complained that the U.S. proposal was "absolutely one-sided." Yet, amid his anti-American rhetoric, there was a cautious but clear sign that the two superpowers might resume discussions of ways to lessen the global peril wrought by their growing strategic arsenals. For Brezhnev also said of the U.S. offer, "In our opinion, this is a step in the right direction...
...Administration was satisfied by this response. The White House issued a statement declaring, "We welcome President Brezhnev's willingness to begin negotiations." Reagan was less guarded. "Do you have any reply to Brezhnev?" a reporter asked. "Not that you'd want to print," the President shot back. But then he added: "I'm kidding. I think we'll be meeting." Reagan's flippant remark, while inappropriate, reflected optimism within the White House that the President's arms-control speech, and Moscow's answer, will defuse domestic antinuclear sentiment and help smooth...
...exchange of oratory indicated that the two leaders agree on the need for negotiations but on little else. In order to preserve what the Soviets see as parity, Brezhnev proposed that the two sides agree to freeze nuclear weapons at the current level as soon as talks get under way. Replied the White House: "A freeze would codify existing Soviet military advantages and remove Soviet incentives to agree to substantial reductions...
...Brezhnev charged that the American plan is designed to achieve U.S. military superiority, since it would exclude from negotiations "the strategic arms it is now most intensively developing." By limiting the number of land-based warheads to 2,500 apiece, Reagan's START proposal would weaken the backbone of the Soviet Union's strategic arsenal, the 5,500 warheads it deploys on ICBMS. In return, the U.S., which has only 2,152 warheads on ICBMS, would have to give up half of its 4,928 submarine-based warheads but could proceed with production of the planned MX ballistic...