Détente

Détente is a French political term meaning "relaxing" or "easing" commonly applied to a hoped-for easing of the Cold War tension between the United States and the Soviet Union.

The first detente or "thawing" led to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Many naive analysts, as well as ideologically driven partisans, advocated detente as an end in itself, as if cordial relations could replace justice or victory. The Cold War was won when Reagan outspent the Soviet military and Gorbachev support authentic democratization.