Country Quote by Petra Kelly
“I belong to the initiators of the... and we had repeatedly also asked the dismantling of the SS-20 but we did not connect them - that was the difference. We didn't connect them because we felt that this was a step taken, an unnecessary step by the American side and added to by the NATO member countries.”
About This Quote
The speaker argues that the West, particularly the US and NATO, failed to link their disarmament negotiations with the Soviet SS‑20 missile issue, viewing the move as an unnecessary concession.
In simple terms: Missed diplomatic linkage
Key Takeaway
Strategic oversight in negotiations
Themes
Cold War politics
Disarmament
NATO‑US relations
Strategic miscalculation
Diplomacy
Mood
critical
reflective
Type
political statement
historical commentary
When to use this quote
- policy negotiations
- international security talks
- Cold‑War era diplomatic meetings
Key Concepts
missile negotiations
political perception
Alliance dynamics
Practical Applications
- historical analysis of arms control
- educational case studies
Questions to Reflect On
- What alternative diplomatic strategies could have been pursued?
- How did this perception affect subsequent arms control agreements?
A Different Perspective
Some analysts view the SS‑20 talks as a necessary step toward broader de‑escalation, not merely an American concession.
![“There are very complicated issues here [about NATO], and I don't want to give them short shrift.” quote by Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/21c/jill-stein-660_complicated_there-are-very-complicated-issues-here-a_2174687.jpg)
![“We're committed to NATO. From the conversations I've already had with President [Donald] Trump over the phone, he has shown to me his commitment to NATO as well.” quote by Theresa May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8b8/theresa-may-2801_commitment_we-re-committed-to-nato-from-the-convers_2461411.jpg)
![“That country [Carthage] was rapidly sinking into the state of barbarism from whence it had been raised by the Phoenician colonies and Roman laws; and every step of intestine discord was marked by some deplorable victory of savage man over civilized society.” quote by Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/70c/edward-gibbon-710_barbarism_that-country-carthage-was-rapidly-sinkin_393.jpg)
