Reykjavik and arms control in U.S.-Soviet/Russian relations

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Thirty years ago, Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev met in Reykjavik, Iceland for a summit devoted to arms control. While a potential agreement—possibly including elimination of all U.S. and Soviet nuclear weapons—collapsed over differences regarding ballistic missile defense, the meeting set in motion moves that produced significant reductions in nuclear arms numbers. Arms control has remained at the center of the relationship between Washington and Moscow.

On October 4, the Center on the United States and Europe and the Arms Control and Non-Proliferation Initiative at Brookings hosted panels to discuss what happened (and what almost happened) at Reykjavik and how arms control has figured in the U.S. relationship with Moscow since then.