"I believe that detente was having almost the opposite effect of what was intended. What was intended was to sort of end the contest for power and to stop Soviet expansion, especially by military means and the military build-up, the military contest"

Jeane Kirkpatrick's quote recommends that the policy of detente, which was planned to minimize the military build-up and stop Soviet expansion, was having the opposite impact. Detente was a policy of détente, or relaxation of stress, in between the United States and the Soviet Union throughout the Cold War. It was intended to lower the danger of nuclear war and to create a more steady relationship in between the two superpowers. Nevertheless, Kirkpatrick suggests that the policy was having the opposite result, with the military build-up and Soviet expansion continuing. This suggests that the policy of detente was not effective in attaining its goals.