Upsetting a Delicate Balance

(6 of 6)

The Americans will probably then see if they can tempt the Soviets into deferring the disagreement over Star Wars and cutting a deal on offensive weapons alone. The Soviets have softened their line on some other issues in order to return to the Geneva talks, but the chances are next to nil that they will give up their insistence on linkage between any agreement on offensive weapons and parallel progress in the talks on defense. It was at Soviet insistence that the communique released by Shultz and Gromyko after their January meeting in Geneva said, "The sides agree that the subject of the negotiations will be a complex of questions concerning space and nuclear arms --both strategic and intermediate-range--with all these questions considered and resolved in their interrelationship." The Soviets maintain that the prospect of Star Wars has transformed the debate about the future of the strategic relationship and that it now dominates the agenda for arms ! control. On that much, at least, Kampelman and Karpov can agree. So can Ronald Reagan.