What significant change in U.S.-Soviet relations did Gorbachev contribute to?
1) The intensification of the arms race
2) The Cuban Missile Crisis
3) The SALT negotiations
4) Stopping the arms race with the U.S.

Choose the correct answer from the given options:

4

Gorbachev contributed to stopping the arms race with the U.S. during his leadership.

Mikhail Gorbachev, who assumed the role of the last leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 to 1991, is renowned for ushering in a transformative era characterized by innovative economic and political reforms encapsulated in "perestroika" (restructuring) and "glasnost" (openness). His leadership marked a pivotal shift in the Cold War dynamic, as he actively worked to halt the arms race with the United States and initiated the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan and Eastern Europe. Gorbachev played a key role in the peaceful unification of Germany, contributing significantly to ending the protracted Cold War tensions. However, his legacy is also associated with the eventual disintegration of the Soviet Union, a development that carries mixed evaluations of his leadership.