In response to the Kremlin 's military and political concessions , Reagan agreed to renew talks on economic issues and the scaling-back of the arms race . The first summit was held in November 1985 in Geneva , Switzerland . At one stage the two men , accompanied only by an interpreter , agreed in principle to reduce each country 's nuclear arsenal by 50 percent . A second summit was held in October 1986 in Reykjavík , Iceland . Talks went well until the focus shifted to Reagan 's proposed Strategic Defense Initiative , which Gorbachev wanted eliminated . Reagan refused . The negotiations failed , but the third summit in 1987 led to a breakthrough with the signing of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty ( INF ) . The INF treaty eliminated all nuclear-armed , ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers ( 300 to 3,400 miles ) and their infrastructure
second summit
Reykjavík Summit
Cold War