The impact of arms control agreements on U.S.-Soviet relations during the Cold War was very significant and complex.

Reducing Tensions:

• Arms control agreements helped lower the fear of a nuclear war.
• The Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) led to treaties that limited how many nuclear weapons each superpower could have.
• Agreements like the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty from 1972 helped ease mutual suspicion.

Improving Communication:

• These treaties created ways for the two countries to talk to each other.
• Regular meetings made it easier to understand one another's plans and goals.
• Formal talks about arms control often led to informal meetings that could help ease tensions during crises.

Impact on Domestic Politics:

• Arms control agreements affected how people thought about politics in both countries.
• In the U.S., for instance, these talks needed support from both political parties. This connected foreign policy with what was going on at home.
• In the Soviet Union, leaders used these agreements to show that they were credible on the world stage and to strengthen their own position within the country.

Changes in Deterrence Strategy:

• With these agreements, both superpowers could focus on maintaining a steady level of strategic forces instead of racing to build more weapons.
• This stability helped reduce the feeling of threat and kept tensions lower.

Acknowledge Each Other's Existence:

• Treaties like the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty from 1987 showed that both nations accepted they would continue to exist together, despite their different beliefs.
• Recognizing each other's security concerns helped create a better environment for cooperation.

In conclusion, arms control agreements were key to shaping U.S.-Soviet relations. They helped reduce tensions, improve communication, impact domestic politics, adjust deterrence strategies, and promote mutual recognition. This complex interaction marked an important time in Cold War diplomacy, showing that trust can develop even between countries with very different ideologies.