Helsinki Summit (1990)

The Helsinki Summit was a meeting between the President of the Soviet Union , Mikhail Gorbachev, and the US President George Bush . It took place on Sunday, September 9th, 1990 in the Finnish capital Helsinki . With the summit meeting convened at short notice at the request of the USA , diplomatic efforts to resolve the Gulf crisis (2nd Gulf War) reached their climax so far. For Bush, as the leader of the military coalition against Iraq , after the end of the Cold War it was important to consult Gorbachev before an attack.

Starting position

Presidents Bush and Gorbachev in Helsinki

On August 2, 1990, Iraqi troops marched into the neighboring state of Kuwait . After the removal of the emir and the government, the Kuwaiti territory was annexed , despite the unanimous condemnation by the United Nations Security Council . In response to the Iraqi occupation, the United Nations decided on an economic embargo against Iraq, which was reinforced by American naval units in particular by means of a naval blockade.

Summit meeting

The two presidents discussed the explosive situation in the Persian Gulf in their seven-hour deliberations .

The summit took place against the background that both superpowers had not been spared bad experiences with actions carried out alone, for example in Afghanistan and Vietnam .

Result of the summit

In a unanimous statement at the end of the summit, Bush and Gorbachev condemned Iraq and called for the evacuation of Kuwait. They stated: “We are united in the view that the aggression of Iraq cannot be tolerated. A peaceful international order is not possible when large states devour their smaller neighbors. "

They went on to say that they are ready to take “further steps” if Iraq does not respond to global sanctions and that “in the interests of humanity” it may be necessary to allow food to get into Iraq and Kuwait. Only the UN Security Council could decide on this, however, and such imports would have to be strictly monitored.

Bush assured that American troops "should not stay longer than necessary" in the Gulf. Gorbachev called this a "very important statement" by the American president.

Bush and Gorbachev did not reach total agreement on keeping a military option open against Iraq, on the participation of Moscow with ground troops in the multinational armed forces of 23 countries, or on the question of connecting the Gulf crisis with the entire Middle East conflict. While Gorbachev urged a peaceful political solution, Bush admitted: "We may have different views on this." He had not asked Gorbachev to send ground troops.

After the summit

On January 16, 1991, a coalition led by the United States and legitimized by UN Security Council Resolution 678 began fighting for the liberation of Kuwait.

Individual evidence

1. ^ Bill Keller: Confrontation in the Gulf; Bush and Gorbachev, in Helsinki, Face the Gulf Crisis In: The New York Times, September 9, 1990
2. ↑ Ulrich Schiller: Summit in Helsinki: With confidence in risk In: The time of September 14, 1990
3. ^ Joint News Conference of President Bush and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev in Helsinki, Finland September 9, 1990. The American Presidency Project WebCitation archive