196. Editorial Note
In response to Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev’s January 15 arms control proposal (see Document 177), the Reagan administration issued two National Security Decision Directives, NSDD 210 on February 4 and NSDD 214 on February 21. The National Security Planning Group met on February 3 to formulate a response to Gorbachev’s proposal (see Document 188), culminating in NSDD 210, “Allied Consultations on the US Response to General Secretary Gorbachev’s January 14, 1986, Arms Control Proposal,” scheduled for publication in Foreign Relations, 1981–1988, volume XII, INF, 1984–1988. According to the instructions contained in NSDD 210, Ambassadors Paul Nitze and Edward Rowny were dispatched to Europe and Asia to discuss the “approach to handling the general concept of a process leading to the total elimination of all nuclear weapons and on a proposed U.S. initiative in the Intermediate-range Nuclear Force (INF) area.” See Document 189. (Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC National Security Decision Directives, NSDD 210)
NSDD 214, “U.S. Response to Gorbachev’s January Arms Control Proposals,” February 21, also scheduled to be printed in Foreign Relations, 1981–1988, volume XII, INF, 1984–1988, provided updated guidance related to INF issues after the completion of Nitze and Rowny’s discussions with the various Allies. (Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC National Security Decision Directives, NSDD 214)