From 1951 to 2006, there was an American military base and troop presence in Iceland. During the Cold War, Iceland had a close but contentious relationship with the United States, leading some scholars to describe Iceland as a "rebellious ally" and "reluctant ally." Iceland repeatedly threatened to leave NATO or cancel the US defence agreement during the Cold War. As a consequence, the United States provided Iceland with extensive economic assistance and diplomatic support. Iceland hosted the historic 1986 Reagan-Gorbachev summit in Reykjavík, which set the stage for the end of the Cold War.