Address to the 43rd General Assembly of the United Nations
Delivered at the UN Headquarters in New York on December 7, 1988, Gorbachev announced unilateral Soviet military cuts and called for a non-violent, interdependent world order, marking a pivotal turning point in ending the Cold War.
Full Transcript
Mr. President, distinguished delegates, we have entered an era when progress will be based on the common interests of all humankind. The world community is learning that the preservation of life on Earth, environmental security, and economic survival require fundamentally new political thinking.
It is obvious that force or the threat of force can no longer and should no longer be an instrument of foreign policy. This applies to all alliances and all nations. Freedom of choice is a universal principle that admits no exceptions.
Today, I can inform the General Assembly that the Soviet Union has taken the decision to reduce its armed forces unilaterally. Over the next two years, Soviet troop strength will be reduced by 500,000 men. We are withdrawing and demobilizing six tank divisions from East Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary.
Let us work together toward a demilitarized international community where diversity is welcomed and conflicts are resolved through multilateral dialogue.
Defining Key Excerpts
"Force or the threat of force can no longer and should no longer be an instrument of foreign policy."
"The world economy is becoming a single organism, outside of which no state can develop normally, regardless of its social system."
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