The Guardian view on arms control: essential to prevent the total devastation of nuclear war | Editorial

Over the holidays, this column will explore next year's urgent issues. Today we look at why an unqualified belief in nuclear deterrence can't keep us safe

Next November marks 40 years since the US president Ronald Reagan and the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev declared that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought". The statement was striking - not least because their militaries were pouring billions into preparing for an unwinnable conflict.

A year later, at Reykjavik, the two came tantalisingly close to eliminating nuclear weapons entirely. That historic chance slipped away over Reagan's insistence on his unproven Star Wars" missile defence system. The moment passed, but its lesson endures: disarmament demands courage - and compromise.