An Interview with Mikhail Gorbachev

Candid views about U.S.-Soviet relations and his goals for his people

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(11 of 18)

- We hope that our understanding of these matters and of the direction in which we want things to move will, through your magazine, be brought to the attention of the U.S. public. This is the view of the Soviet leadership, so when I say these things it is a responsible statement.

We must not allow things to go so far as confrontation between our two countries. This is a reflection of the interests of our two peoples and of the politicians who represent them. It is after all the people of the two countries who put the politicians into the positions they hold today. So it is in our interests to express those wishes in practical ways. We must seek ways to put an end to the arms race, to seek disarmament, to switch Soviet-American relations onto a normal track. Surely, God on high has not refused to give us enough wisdom to find ways to bring us an improvement in our relations, an improvement in relations between the two great nations on earth, nations on whom depends the very destiny of civilization. We for our part are ready to take that role.

What I said is particularly acute and topical because we get information about the political atmosphere in Washington, and that information disconcerts and disappoints us. (Reading from papers in front of him.) Here are some of the reports we've heard emanating from Washington just this last week. In one report the White House intimates that there can be no agreements with the Soviet Union on limitation of U.S. strategic programs, and the most that can be expected is agreement on a kind of agenda for the future. That agenda is to be considered over a period of many years, if not decades. Meanwhile and parallel with such a discussion, new types of arms would be developed, including space systems.

Now that is not some kind of information cooked up by any Soviet correspondent in Washington. That information is based on what is written by the American media. Or here is a report about some statements made by (U.S. Under Secretary for Political Affairs Michael) Armacost and (U.S. Strategic Weapons Negotiator John) Tower in interviews. Some other statements. We can discern that some of these statements are actually designed to make the product look better, or designed to hide the actual true meaning behind the words. But the main thrust of what they want to say is that it is essential to do everything possible to ward off, even to prevent, the slightest opportunity of reaching any accord with the Soviets on space-weapons bans or on the ban on nuclear testing. Now from these pronouncements made by Tower it appears that nothing depends on whatever the Soviet Union does at the talks in Geneva or in the military field. The U.S. will still go on developing antisatellite systems. It will go on developing space weapons systems. So here you see how certain people in the U.S. are driving nails into this structure of our relationship, then cutting off the heads. So the Soviets must use their teeth to pull them out.

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