Mikhael Gorbachev's selection as the new Soviet leader marked a turning point in the Cold War. Gorbachev pursued compromising negotiations and peaceful relations with Ronald Reagan, unlike his predecessors. While Reagan initially had an anti-communist rhetoric, he eventually changed his view of the Soviet Union. Gorbachev played a larger role in improving US-USSR relations through his new thinking and policies of openness and disarmament negotiations. His withdrawal of Soviet support from the Afghan war further supported these ideals of reducing conflict.