Washington Summit (1987) facts for kids
The Washington Summit was an important meeting during the Cold War in 1987. It brought together the leader of the United States, President Ronald Reagan, and the leader of the Soviet Union, General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev. They met in Washington, D.C. from December 8 to 10.
Contents
A Historic Meeting in Washington
The Leaders: Reagan and Gorbachev
President Ronald Reagan was the leader of the United States at the time. Mikhail Gorbachev was the top leader of the Soviet Union. These two powerful men met to talk about big world problems. Their meeting was a key moment during the Cold War, a long period of tension between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.
Important Topics Discussed
Reagan and Gorbachev talked about many serious issues. They discussed problems in different parts of the world, like Afghanistan, Central America, and South Africa. They also focused on how to control and reduce dangerous weapons.
- Arms Control: This meant talking about ways to limit or get rid of certain weapons. They specifically discussed chemical weapons, which are very dangerous.
- START Agreements: They reviewed progress on the START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) agreements. These were treaties aimed at reducing the number of nuclear weapons.
- Human Rights: The leaders also talked about human rights, which are the basic rights and freedoms that all people should have.
A Big Agreement: The INF Treaty
A major success of the summit was the signing of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. This treaty was a big step because it meant that both the U.S. and the Soviet Union agreed to get rid of all their land-based missiles that could travel between 500 and 5,500 kilometers. It was a significant agreement that helped reduce the threat of nuclear war.
