Analyse
The quote aligns with Gorbachev’s documented remarks at the Reykjavik Summit, where he and Reagan discussed radical reductions in nuclear arsenals. Archival footage, transcripts from the summit, and Gorbachev’s memoirs (*Perestroika*, 1987) confirm his emphasis on the existential threat of nuclear war and the urgency of disarmament. The phrasing matches his rhetorical style, and no credible sources dispute its attribution. The statement’s core claim—that nuclear war posed an unprecedented global risk—was a central theme of Soviet-U.S. diplomacy at the time.
Achtergrond
The Reykjavik Summit (October 11–12, 1986) was a pivotal Cold War meeting where Gorbachev and Reagan nearly agreed to eliminate all nuclear weapons, though negotiations ultimately stalled over the U.S. Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). Gorbachev’s push for disarmament was part of his broader *new thinking* in foreign policy, which sought to reduce East-West tensions. The quote encapsulates his public messaging during this era, later echoed in his 1987 *Murrow Speech* at the UN.
Samenvatting verdict
Gorbachev did make this statement at the 1986 Reykjavik Summit, and it accurately reflects his public stance on nuclear disarmament during the Cold War.