G. H. W. Bush and M. Gorbachev’s Negotiations at Malta in 1989 (With Reference to G. H. W. Bush Presidential Library Archive)

Abstract

The article analyzes the Gorbachev-Bush negotiations at the Malta Summit. The author uses documents from the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library and memoirs of the participants to research the then changing Soviet-American relations. According to the memoirs of its participants and contemporary journalists’ articles, the Malta Summit became a milestone in the process of the Cold War’s ending. Such negotiations were only possible only in relatively peaceful conditions. However, the analysis of the Malta Summit is not in the limelight of historical science; the works published are mainly based on memoirs. It was crucial for the George H. W. Bush Administration to determine the changes in the Soviet policy. The summit was an attempt to verify the genuineness of Gorbachev’s foreign policy shift, which made the preparation for it very rigorous. There was no agenda at the Summit, but G. H. W. Bush made specific proposals both in arms control and in regional issues. M. Gorbachev used peaceful rhetoric and appealed to the new status of the USSR –US relations. Despite the fact that there was a cooperative spirit at the Summit some issues remained unresolved. There were no formal agreements at the Summit; thus, its importance lies in the psychological sphere. The G. H. W. Bush Administration made sure that the changes in the Soviet foreign policy were real, and they could get more concessions, including the German reunification.