Superpowers Agree to Reduce Nuclear Arsenals
"Superpowers Agree to Reduce Nuclear Arsenals" refers to a significant arms control agreement reached on December 8, 1987, between the United States and the Soviet Union, two leading superpowers of the time. This historic pact aimed to drastically reduce their nuclear arsenals, marking a pivotal moment in the Cold War, a period characterized by geopolitical tension and military buildup between these two nations since the late 1940s. The agreement came during a time of transformative political and economic reforms in the Soviet Union under Mikhail Gorbachev, which helped shift U.S. perceptions and foster a sense of trust in negotiations. The treaty mandated the elimination of almost all short- and medium-range nuclear missiles, along with a strict timeline and provisions for verification. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia, as the main successor state, continued to uphold the treaty's commitments. Additionally, several former Soviet republics, including Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine, also inherited obligations from the treaty. This agreement represented a milestone towards mutual disarmament and set a precedent for future arms control discussions globally.
Superpowers Agree to Reduce Nuclear Arsenals
Superpowers Agree to Reduce Nuclear Arsenals
On December 8, 1987, the United States and the Soviet Union agreed to a historic reduction in their stockpiles of nuclear weapons. It was a major step on the road to mutual disarmament between the United States and what is now the nation of Russia.
At the time, the United States and the Soviet Union were the world's two largest military powers. Since the late 1940s they had been engaged in the Cold War, a struggle for world domination, and since they were so much larger and stronger than any other military powers in the world they were known as superpowers. However, by the late 1980s the Soviet Union was experiencing significant political and economic reforms under the leadership of Communist Party chief Mikhail Gorbachev, reforms that convinced the U.S. government under President Ronald Reagan that at last the Soviets could finally be trusted. Therefore, on December 8, 1987, in the U.S. capital, Washington, D.C., the two countries formally agreed to eliminate virtually all of their short- and medium-range nuclear missiles according to a strict timetable which also included mutually verifiable supervision.
After the Soviet Union dissolved on December 25, 1991, the terms of the treaty were inherited and observed by Russia, considered by the international community to be the predominant successor to Soviet obligations. Other nations who were also formerly part of the Soviet Union and had inherited part of the Soviet nuclear stockpile, namely Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine, inherited treaty obligations as well.