ABSTRACT
A debate is taking place in the Soviet Union on many of the basic positions and traditional assumptions of Soviet security policy. The implications of mutual security for the military policy and the conduct of US-Soviet relations, as advocated by one side in the Soviet debate, are profound. The idea of substantial reductions in Warsaw Pact and NATO conventional forces, while central to the acceptability of the concept of mutual security to the West, to date has not found much support in Soviet doctrinal analyses, although a reading of FitzGerald's chapter shows that it is increasing. In connection with the restructuring currently being promoted, it is necessary to have a critical review of the evaluation given then on the 'Prague Spring' movement. Gorbachev's vision contains both positive and negative elements for the West, but he seems determined to transform the nature of the US-Soviet relationship.
