ABSTRACT
The universe in which Mikhail Gorbachev took the reins of the Soviet Union was one in which his country had no major friends, and was strapped with an unruly and economically and politically sick "alliance" of satellites and semi-satellites. Gorbachev's leadership and the internal change in the Soviet Union that he has set in motion are of primary interest to the West because of their potential impact on Soviet international behavior. The greatest changes in Soviet international policies under Gorbachev thus far have occurred in the area of national security. Soviet domestic conditions affect Soviet security policies in three areas: resources; politics and policy making; and ideology and beliefs. The agreement with the Soviets on the abolition of all medium and short-range nuclear weapons, while of limited military significance, is politically and psychologically of great importance. The distinction between Soviet security policy and foreign policy is to a large extent artificial.
