Two rounds of bilateral conferences and corresponding international treaties involving the United States and the Soviet Union
SALT I and SALT II were the first major bilateral arms control agreements between the US and USSR, establishing limits on nuclear weapons during the Cold War.
Key Facts
- Negotiations began
- November 1969, Helsinki
- SALT II signed
- June 18, 1979, Vienna
- US Senate ratification
- Not ratified due to Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
- Agreement expiry
- December 31, 1985
- Successor treaties
- START I (1991), START II (1993), New START (2011)
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Rising nuclear arsenals during the Cold War created mutual concern between the United States and the Soviet Union about strategic instability. Both superpowers sought mechanisms to limit the proliferation of nuclear weapons and delivery systems, prompting bilateral negotiations beginning in Helsinki in November 1969.
SALT (Strategic Arms Limitation Talks) comprised two rounds of US-Soviet negotiations. SALT I produced the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and an interim agreement. SALT II produced a treaty signed in Vienna on June 18, 1979, imposing limits on nuclear warheads and delivery vehicles, though neither country's legislature formally ratified it.
The US Senate declined to ratify SALT II following the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and the Supreme Soviet similarly did not ratify it. Despite lacking formal ratification, both sides observed the agreement until it expired in 1985. The talks laid groundwork for subsequent Strategic Arms Reduction Treaties, including START I, START II, and New START.
Political Outcome
SALT II treaty signed but not ratified by either side; both nations voluntarily observed its terms until expiration on December 31, 1985.
Unconstrained bilateral nuclear buildup between US and USSR
Agreed limits on nuclear delivery systems and warheads, with framework for further arms reduction treaties