Gennady Gerasimov was the Soviet Foreign Ministry Spokesman under Mikhail Gorbachev. In the interview he briefly describes the changes in Soviet policy that took place between Brezhnev and Gorbachev. He recalls the psychological effects of Reagans early disparaging remarks about the Soviet Union. In his opinion, the Soviet deployment of SS-20 missiles was not adequately thought through, and he traces Soviet thinking (and rethinking) of the zero option. He recalls particular aspects of the Reykjavik summit and his understanding of the difficulties U.S. officials have had with the ABM treaty. He calls SDI a silly idea and dangerous. The Washington summit, in his view, was an extremely positive experience characterized by cooperation and candid discussion. Asked about the nature of the U.S.-Soviet conflict, he says it is basically ideological, then provides reflections on the different attitudes that obtain on each side.
