Both Gorbachev and Reagan wanted a summit to discuss the Cold War , but each faced some opposition to such a move within their respective governments . They agreed to hold a summit in Geneva , Switzerland in November 1985 . In the buildup to this , Gorbachev sought to improve relations with the U.S. ' NATO allies , visiting France in October 1985 to meet with President François Mitterrand . At the Geneva summit , discussions between Gorbachev and Reagan were sometimes heated , and Gorbachev was initially frustrated that his U.S. counterpart " does not seem to hear what I am trying to say " . As well as discussing the Cold War proxy conflicts in Afghanistan and Nicaragua and human rights issues , the pair discussed the U.S. ' Strategic Defense Initiative ( SDI ) , to which Gorbachev was strongly opposed . The duo 's wives also met and spent time together at the summit . The summit ended with a joint commitment to avoiding nuclear war and to meet for two further summits : in Washington D.C. in 1986 and in Moscow in 1987 . Following the conference , Gorbachev travelled to Prague to inform other Warsaw Pact leaders of developments
a summit in Geneva , Switzerland
Geneva Summit (1985)
Mikhail Gorbachev