Thirty-nine years ago today, on January 1, 1986 (November 21, 1985 in the lunar calendar), Reagan and Gorbachev exchanged greetings. Reagan and Gorbachev Today, President Reagan sent New Year greetings to the Soviet Union on the radio; Mikhail Gorbachev also greeted the American audience. Although it is not the first time that the top leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union greeted each other, it is the first time since 1973. That year, Leonid Brezhnev spoke to the United States; In 1972, President Nixon greeted the Soviet Union. All the major radio stations broadcast their speech. These speeches certainly express hope for the future.