Gorbachev visited Chequers: Margaret Thatcher described him as a man she could do business with

During a crucial visit to Chequers, the official country residence of the British Prime Minister at the time, Margaret Thatcher met Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. This encounter was met with anticipation and scrutiny, given the Cold War atmosphere that characterized international relations between the Western bloc, led by the United States and NATO allies like the United Kingdom, and the Eastern bloc, led by the Soviet Union. The background to this pivotal meeting was tense. The Cold War had been marked by years of suspicion, espionage, and an arms race that strained global peace and economies. The nuclear threat loomed large, and any small step towards easing tension was seen as valuable. Gorbachev, who had recently risen to prominence in Soviet politics, was viewed with cautious optimism due to his known reformist tendencies, including his advocacy for policies like Glasnost (openness) and Perestroika (restructuring). Margaret Thatcher, known for her staunch anti-communist stance, shocked many by publicly expressing confidence in Gorbachev post their meeting.