Word: summited
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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Some hard-line factions are not interested in deeds or words. They are apparently convinced that Gorbachev should hunker down and wait until Reagan gallops off into the sunset. "Many in the leadership believe (a second summit) is not in the Soviet interest," says a Western diplomat. "Many here believe it is impossible to do business with Reagan...
...basic problem in Soviet-American relations is that the Soviet Union defines security in a way that makes much of the rest of the world feel insecure. Gorbachev's statements and his apparent desire for a second summit and an arms-control agreement may suggest a recognition on his part that such a policy is no longer practical in the nuclear era. Or his reassuring words could merely be part of another campaign to lull the West into complacency...
...believers the change could not have been more startling if Joseph Stalin had bought stock in General Motors. Ronald Reagan, who built his political career by trashing arms-control agreements and demanding a linkage between American cooperation and Soviet good behavior, appears more interested in treaties and a second summit meeting with Mikhail Gorbachev than in punishing the Soviets for their Daniloff perfidy...
...never changed my view." But Reagan has added a new dimension to his view of the Russians, and he believes the circumstances of the U.S.-Soviet rivalry have changed as well. The result is an apparent contradiction that should be no surprise to veteran Reagan watchers. "He wants a summit. He wants an arms- control agreement -- one that is fair and maybe even verifiable," says a close White House aide. "He doesn't want to lose the opportunity." Still, Reagan retains a deep distrust of Soviet motives and a conviction that the U.S. must stay strong and alert. The President...
Much of this new understanding came through Reagan's preparations for the Geneva summit meeting with Gorbachev. Experts were brought in to brief him on the interplay between Russian culture and the Soviet system. One writer with whom Reagan developed a particular rapport was Suzanne Massie, author of Land of the Firebird: The Beauty of Old Russia, an uplifting history of prerevolutionary Russian culture, its spiritual qualities and love of nature. Indeed, Massie has continued to visit the White House, most recently late last month, when she lunched with the Reagans. Massie sees Reagan as a man who "focuses...