ABSTRACT
The efforts of the Mikhail Gorbachev leadership to reform the Soviet system and to infuse "new thinking" into Soviet foreign policy offer important opportunities for the United States: the most promising opportunities are in nuclear arms reductions and establishing a more solid basis for Soviet-American relations. Gorbachev seems determined to undertake radical changes in Soviet society. Gorbachev and his advisors have set out, in their "new thinking" about Soviet foreign policy, recognition of an "interdependent" world, a refreshing new point of view of the Kremlin leadership under Gorbachev. Gorbachev's reforms in Soviet society may be important in helping to manage the volatile elements of the US-Soviet relationship. In designing reforms for the Soviet Union, Gorbachev has shown confidence that he can channel and control the process despite domestic resistance. At the core of anti-Sovietism is the anti-Russian attitude of the powerful national groups.
