In June 1979, Carter and Brezhnev signed the SALT II Treaty, which sought to reduce the dangerous arms race between the world’s two nuclear superpowers. Many members of the Senate believed that the treaty was too favorable to the Soviets. Also, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, leading to even greater strain between the two countries. Because of this, the Senate never formally ratified the treaty. However, the two countries acted as if the treaty went into effect. In 1986, President Reagan withdrew the United States from the SALT II

agreement, alleging that the Soviets were violating the agreement.