Strategic Arms Limitation Talks facts for kids

The Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) were important meetings and agreements between the United States and the Soviet Union. These two countries were the biggest "superpowers" during the Cold War, a time of tension and rivalry. The main goal of SALT was to control and reduce the number of powerful weapons, especially nuclear missiles, that each country had.

There were two main parts to these talks and agreements: SALT I and SALT II.

What Were the SALT Talks?

The SALT talks were a series of discussions between the United States and the Soviet Union. They started in November 1969 in Helsinki, Finland. Both countries wanted to find ways to limit their nuclear weapons. This was a big step because it showed they could talk and agree on important issues, even though they were rivals.

Why Were These Talks Important?

During the Cold War, both the US and the Soviet Union had many nuclear weapons. People worried that a war could break out and cause huge destruction. The SALT talks aimed to make the world safer by:

• Stopping the build-up of more and more weapons.
• Reducing the risk of a nuclear war.
• Building trust between the two superpowers.

SALT I: The First Agreement

The first round of talks, called SALT I, led to two major agreements in 1972:

• The Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (ABM Treaty).
• An interim (temporary) agreement on offensive strategic arms.

The ABM Treaty limited the number of systems each country could have to defend against missiles. The interim agreement put limits on the number of certain types of long-range missiles. These agreements were a big success for arms control.

SALT II: The Second Round

After SALT I, leaders from both countries continued to talk. These discussions were known as SALT II. In 1979, the United States and the Soviet Union signed a new agreement. This agreement aimed to set even more limits on nuclear weapons.

However, the SALT II treaty faced a challenge. The United States Senate needed to approve it for it to become law in the US. When the Soviet Union sent its army into Afghanistan later in 1979, the US Senate decided not to approve the treaty. Because of this, SALT II never officially became a law.

End of the SALT Agreements

Even though SALT II was not fully approved, both countries mostly followed its rules for a while. However, the original agreement was set to end on December 31, 1985. It was not renewed, and new talks about arms control began later.

Images for kids

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  Jimmy Carter (US President) and Leonid Brezhnev (Soviet leader) signing the SALT II treaty in Vienna, June 18, 1979.

See also

In Spanish: Acuerdos SALT para niños