What was achieved at the Moscow Summit in May 1988?

• A. The Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty reducing tanks, missiles and aircraft
• B. The Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty
• C. The Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty
• D. The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

Answer: (A)

At this summit, the focus was on easing tensions by limiting conventional forces in Europe. Leaders agreed to move toward a treaty that would cap and reduce numbers of major non-nuclear weapons in NATO and the Warsaw Pact—things like tanks, armored fighting vehicles, artillery, helicopters, and combat aircraft. The idea was to reduce the risk of a large-scale surprise or rapid invasion by having verifiable limits on these forces, signaling a shift from purely nuclear arms control to broader strategic stabilization.

This is the best fit because it highlights the move to conventional arms control in Europe, which is what was being pursued at the Moscow meeting. The other options refer to nuclear treaties, which were negotiated and signed at different times (for example, an INF agreement existed from before, while START came later, and NPT dates from the 1960s).