Gorby: Reach out to Putin or risk new arms race

Mikhail Gorbachev has urged the winner of the US election to hold an early meeting with Vladimir Putin amid fears that the nuclear arms race the then Soviet president helped to end three decades ago is again spiralling out of control. ‘‘The situation is very worrying,’’ Gorbachev said. ‘‘Whatever the result of the election, we need to resume a dialogue to get out of this frozen situation. We need a strong impetus from the presidents on both sides.’’ Gorbachev, 89, said the two countries should hold a ‘‘second Reykjavik’’ – a reference to his summit with Ronald Reagan in Iceland in 1986.