Former Soviet President Gorbachev calls on Russia and the United States to 'stop and think'

Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev. Photo: Sputnik

“Today, the United States and Russia are at a dangerous crossroads. They should stop and think. Cold War veterans have spoken. Now is the time for our country’s leaders to act,” Gorbachev wrote in an article in the Wall Street Journal.

The former Soviet leader quoted former US Secretary of State George Schulz, former US Secretary of Defense William Perry and former US Senator Samuel Nunn as saying that "deterrence cannot protect the world from nuclear error or nuclear terrorism" - in the absence of sustained and meaningful dialogue between Washington and Moscow.

“I agree with Messrs. Schulz, Perry and Nunn on the urgent need for strategic dialogue between the United States and Russia. I also believe that nuclear deterrence does not protect the world, but endangers it,” Gorbachev wrote.

“Nuclear weapons can be triggered by technical failure, human error or computer failure. The last factor worries me the most. Computer technology is now used everywhere. And how many times have computers and electronic devices failed in aviation, industry and various control systems?" he asked.

Mr. Gorbachev has repeatedly advocated establishing a strategic dialogue between Russia and the United States.

He also criticized Washington's decision to withdraw from the Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missile Treaty, noting that it was due to the United States' desire to gain absolute military superiority and impose its will on the world.