U.S. Allies Hope for Summit Accord on Missiles

LONDON — America’s Western European allies, often feeling trapped in the middle of superpower tensions, welcome the U.S.-Soviet talks in Iceland and hope it will lead to a scaling down of medium-range missiles in Europe, leaders have indicated.

Prospects for a chemical weapons ban also may be enhanced by the Oct. 11-12 Reykjavik meeting between President Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev, European leaders believe. The surprise meeting could lead to a full-scale summit later this year.

Chancellor Helmut Kohl’s West German government welcomed the announcement of the Iceland meeting “with great satisfaction.”

British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s office said: “We regard it as a token by both sides of the wish for a full summit . . . which we and the world want to see.”

The French government made no formal comment, but officials said they had “prudent hopes” for progress on arms control.

Italian Prime Minister Bettino Craxi messaged Reagan to say that the meeting “indicates the common will to search for substantial progress not only in arms control, but in the larger East-West problems.”

Beneath the general, diplomatic statements of support for the Reykjavik meeting, the main hope among America’s allies is for progress on reducing or eliminating medium-range nuclear missiles in Europe.

Friedhelm Ost, West German government spokesman, said Reagan had written Kohl asking for suggestions for the summit. Ost said Kohl was emphasizing German interests, especially progress on the missiles issue.

The issue is of particular concern to Bonn, which is taking the largest number of the new NATO missiles. In all, 108 Pershing 2 missiles have been deployed and 96 cruise missiles are being installed.

Kohl is up for reelection in January and any move to get the missiles out of West Germany would be to his political advantage.

Under a 1979 decision, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is deploying a total of 572 single-warhead Pershing 2 and cruise missiles in Britain, West Germany, Italy, Belgium and Holland.