Zero Option
Encyclopedia
The "Zero Option" was the name given to an American proposal for the withdrawal of all Soviet and United States
intermediate-range nuclear missiles
from Europe. This term was subsequently expanded to describe the vision of eliminating all nuclear weapons everywhere.
U.S. President Ronald Reagan
proposed this plan on 18 November 1981. He offered not to proceed with the deployment of Pershing II and cruise missile
s – previously announced on 12 November 1979 and due to begin in 1983 – if the Soviet Union
would remove its SS-4, SS-5
and SS-20 missiles targeted on Western Europe.
European and American anti-nuclear activists denounced the Zero Option as designed to be rejected so that the U.S. could deploy the new missiles without condemnation by critics there and abroad. Following the coming to power of Mikhail Gorbachev
, however, nuclear arms control negotiations were resumed, and the Zero Option constituted the basis of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty
, agreed in principle in September 1987 and signed on 8 December that year.
The final total of Soviet and United States nuclear missiles, eliminated under the terms of the INF Treaty by the end of May 1991, was 2,692. The fulfilment of this multilateral agreement, which removed both intermediate- and shorter-range nuclear forces from Europe (the "Double-Zero" deal), was widely seen as a key step towards ending the Cold War.
Reagan's vision toward elimination of nuclear weapons went far beyond the goals of the INF treaty. On January 16, 1984, he delivered a speech saying:
in a speech given on April 4, 2009, in Prague
, where he announced...
Obama went on in that speech to state:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
intermediate-range nuclear missiles
Intermediate-range ballistic missile
An intermediate-range ballistic missile is a ballistic missile with a range of 3,000–5,500 km , between a medium-range ballistic missile and an intercontinental ballistic missile...
from Europe. This term was subsequently expanded to describe the vision of eliminating all nuclear weapons everywhere.
U.S. President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
proposed this plan on 18 November 1981. He offered not to proceed with the deployment of Pershing II and cruise missile
Cruise missile
A cruise missile is a guided missile that carries an explosive payload and is propelled, usually by a jet engine, towards a land-based or sea-based target. Cruise missiles are designed to deliver a large warhead over long distances with high accuracy...
s – previously announced on 12 November 1979 and due to begin in 1983 – if the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
would remove its SS-4, SS-5
R-14 Usovaya
The R-14 Chusovaya was a theatre ballistic missile developed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. It was given the NATO reporting name SS-5 Skean and was known by GRAU index 8K65. It was designed by Mikhail Kuzmich Yangel. Chusovaya is the name of a river in Russia...
and SS-20 missiles targeted on Western Europe.
European and American anti-nuclear activists denounced the Zero Option as designed to be rejected so that the U.S. could deploy the new missiles without condemnation by critics there and abroad. Following the coming to power of Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...
, however, nuclear arms control negotiations were resumed, and the Zero Option constituted the basis of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty
Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty
The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty is a 1987 agreement between the United States and the Soviet Union. Signed in Washington, D.C. by U.S. President Ronald Reagan and General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev on December 8, 1987, it was ratified by the United States Senate on May 27, 1988 and...
, agreed in principle in September 1987 and signed on 8 December that year.
The final total of Soviet and United States nuclear missiles, eliminated under the terms of the INF Treaty by the end of May 1991, was 2,692. The fulfilment of this multilateral agreement, which removed both intermediate- and shorter-range nuclear forces from Europe (the "Double-Zero" deal), was widely seen as a key step towards ending the Cold War.
Reagan's vision toward elimination of nuclear weapons went far beyond the goals of the INF treaty. On January 16, 1984, he delivered a speech saying:
- "Our aim was and continues to be to eliminate an entire class of nuclear arms. Indeed, I support a zero option for all nuclear arms. As I've said before, my dream is to see the day when nuclear weapons will be banished from the face of the Earth."
21st Century Effort
The push for total nuclear weapons abolition was promoted again by U.S. President Barack ObamaBarack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
in a speech given on April 4, 2009, in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, where he announced...
Obama went on in that speech to state: