Overview of the key security issues facing the Alliance in preparation for the December 1984 meeting in Brussels. The document discusses the state of Alliance, conventional and nuclear weapons, and the installment of INF in Europe, focusing on the potential for continuing East-West dialogue around disarmament.

Ambassador Petrignani reports his conversation with Vice Secretary of State Burt following Kissinger's interview in Time where he talks about NATO's crisis and need for burden sharing reform. Burt distances the current administration from Kissinger's views, stating instead that euro-american relations are "in good health", and there is no need for drastic measures.

These notes from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs analyze the current state of the alliance. The document offers an overview of recent positive and negative developments , focusing on the issue of restarting the INF negotiations.

Italy's pemanent representative to NATO, Vincenzo Tornetta, reports to foreign minister Colombo about the prospects of NATO's 1980s defence strategy. He offers an overview of the developments of the Alliance, and discusses topical questions including euromissiles and anti-war movements in Europe, and calls for increased openness and willingness to negotiate with the East.

Report from the Italian permanent representative to NATO Tornetta to Foreign Minister Colombo regarding the new directive of President Carter (PD-59) on the use of strategic nuclear systems. According to Tornetta PD-59 represents a significant change in the balance between the superpowers and the allied defense posture in Europe.

Canadian officials warned of disagreement to come between the Europeans and the Americans over the “zero option,” the longstanding proposal to reduce both US and Soviet INF to zero. This dispatch from Brussels reported “substantial unhappiness” amongst the Europeans that the United States and the Soviet Union would discuss disarmament “even if neither of them believed in it.” Nuclear deterrence had prevented war in Europe for the preceding four decades, and US-Soviet discussions of disarmament only made it even more difficult to convince public opinion of deterrence’s continued importance

In a flurry of cables from February 1986, Canadian assessments focused on a chronic issue within NATO: consultation within the alliance. As this dispatch from Brussels concluded, paraphrasing Winston Churchill, “NATO nuclear collective consultation is the worst form, except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.”

In a flurry of cables from February 1986, Canadian assessments focused on a chronic issue within NATO: in consultation within the alliance. The Special Consultative Group was used as a forum to “air views of allies,” hold briefings on the current state of negotiations, and to share a new negotiating position right before it was tabled. Canadian officials also warned of disagreement to come between the Europeans and the Americans over the “zero option,” the longstanding proposal to reduce both US and Soviet INF to zero.