United States Assistance for Dismantlement of Former Soviet Nuclear Weapons

The collapse of the old order in the former Soviet Union has been well-documented. The rapidity of the collapse, the extent of change and the implications for the future have, however, been explored by both former Soviet officials and the West in only superficial detail. Once in a great while, a government is provided the opportunity to act decisively to advance the process of peace and stability. The government of the United States was offered this opportunity last summer and seized upon it with alacrity.