---
title: "SALT I: Strategic Arms Limitation Talks | Model Diplomat"
description: "SALT I was the first agreement to limit nuclear arms between the US and Soviet Union in 1972, crucial for arms control during the Cold War."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/salt-i"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- SALT I was the first Strategic Arms Limitation Talks agreement, signed by the United States and Soviet Union in 1972, freezing offensive missile launchers and restricting missile defences.
- What two agreements made up SALT I?
- How did SALT I differ from SALT II?
- What was the strategic rationale behind the ABM Treaty?
- What was the principal weakness of SALT I?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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In May 1972, US President Richard Nixon travelled to Moscow and signed the ABM Treaty and the Interim Agreement with Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev, jointly constituting SALT I.

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