ABSTRACT
The Soviet leadership is heavily committed to economic growth and steadily rising living standards. Dependence upon Western technology–as the Soviet leaders, no doubt reluctantly, accept–draws the Soviet economy into the capitalist-dominated world economic system. The hallmark of the Soviet leadership, and the main cause of its neurotic reaction to any sign of internal dissent, is caution and conservatism. Both within and without the borders of the USSR, there is a clear status quo that the Soviet leaders wish to preserve. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute figures are based on the official Soviet budget, taking account of hidden costs included in the Soviet science budget and of the difficulties of choosing an appropriate exchange rate. The strategic and political implications of defence cuts will depend on how they are carried out–the concrete items affected and the co-ordination of defence and arms control policies with those of other countries.
