• part of Gorbachev’s commitment towards New Thinking at home and abroad Soviet foreign policy underwent change known as “de ideologization”

  • meant end to all ideologically driven engagements designed to promote communism globally and challenge US

  • Gorbachev recognised in order to successfully reform soviet economy he had to reduce large amts of money being spent overseas in Superpower competition with US

  • moreover he had shown he was more prepared to meet Reagan

  • under Gorbachev USSR would no longer intervene in other countries to supp comm regimes or takeover as it did under former leaders such as Brezhnev

  • to demonstrate his commitment towards de ideologization Gorbachev withdrew troops from military engagements in Afghanistan and Angola alongside soviet supp for comm regimes in Cuba and Vietnam\

  • next he was prepared to tell the hard-line communist leaders of eastern Europe that they had to change too

  • 1989 Gorbachev called leaders of Warsaw pact countries together

  • explained to them he was now committed to policy of non intervention in affairs of other countries.

  • jokingly referred to this policy s “Sinatra Doctrine”