Tom Blanton and Svetlana Savranskaya compiled the dialogue between Mikhail Gorbachev and Margaret Thatcher in order to display Thatcher's inherent role in breaking down the Soviet Union, while still highlighting her role in preventing nuclear proliferation. From the earliest conversations between Thatcher and Gorbachev, it quickly became apparent that their views on nuclear weapons were profoundly polarized. When they first met in London, 1984, they discussed a broad array of subjects, including nuclear proliferation. Their disagreement was not filled with malice, however, because their discussions entertained each other.
They quickly debated topics like nuclear proliferation such as regional conflicts, soviet reform, and economic systems. Savranskaya describes their conversations as heated discussions, explaining, "They loved explaining the benefits of each of their systems to each other. She spoke about capitalism and he spoke about communism. What's interesting is she was trying to share her experience of implementing free market reform." Meanwhile, Gorbachev was trying to implement reform of his own; except, Gorbachev's reform aimed towards communism. Nevertheless, these debates would resolve in either mutual agreements or mutual respect; except, of course, one issue: nuclear proliferation. On this issue, the two saw each other as evils.
Margaret Thatcher's approach towards the discussions was, pun intended, the textbook definition of game theory. Margaret Thatcher approached the first talk ready to stand firm to her beliefs, but wittingly encourage discourse. As a short term strategy, the strong resolution on some beliefs while agreeing on others allowed Thatcher to hold influence in issues related to agreed upon beliefs. Savranskaya lists of issues which Thatcher held influence over: conventional weapons in Europe, domestic economic reform, and democratization. However, these are just the short term impacts of Thatcher's strategy during the talks. Thatcher's influence continued to impact US-UK-Soviet communications.
Margaret Thatcher's strategy of sitting next to evil and debating evil normalized the process for Gorbachev to sit next to Reagan, another evil, while still peacefully talking to each other. This made the process for Reagan and Gorbachev, as well as the two countries' leaders in the future, to meaningfully engage in nuclear proliferation agreements. In a 1987 INF Treaty, Gorbachev agreed to reduce his nuclear arsenal if Reagan would end the Star Wars program. Ironically, Thatcher used nuclear deterrence policy as a deterrent for economic and domestic policy, which indirectly allowed Reagan to talk Gorbachev into nuclear proliferation; thus, Thatcher indirectly used nuclear deterrence a deterrence for nuclear deterrence.
