ABSTRACT
The Congress’ critical role in US-Soviet relations was once again demonstrated in the first half of 1988, with the extended and ultimately favorable consideration of the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. Because the Reagan Administration chose to negotiate the INF accord as a treaty, only the Senate was directly involved in the formal approval process. The Senate’s lengthy consideration of the INF Treaty tended to belie what most observers believed would be inevitable advice and consent by a comfortable margin. Soviet americanists, while largely sharing the view of most American observers that the INF Treaty would ultimately be approved by the Senate, were nonetheless uneasy about the length of the debate and the potential of the opposition to frustrate and complicate Senate approval. Thus, while amerikanistika on the Senate debate was largely straightforward, apprehension was apparent in the description of the slow process leading to eventual approval.
