▁of ▁ge opol it ical ▁t ension ▁between ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union . ▁During ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁and ▁early ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁relations ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁super pow ers ▁had ▁improved ▁through ▁a ▁policy ▁known ▁as ▁det ente . ▁In ▁a ▁reflection ▁of ▁the ▁w an ing ▁importance ▁of ▁the ▁Cold ▁War , ▁some ▁of ▁Carter ' s ▁contempor aries ▁l abeled ▁him ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁post - C old ▁War ▁president , ▁but ▁relations ▁with ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁would ▁continue ▁to ▁be ▁an ▁important ▁factor ▁in ▁American ▁foreign ▁policy ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁and ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s . ▁Many ▁of ▁the ▁leading ▁officials ▁in ▁the ▁Carter ▁administration , ▁including ▁Carter ▁himself , ▁were ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Tr il ater al ▁Commission , ▁which ▁de - emph as ized ▁the ▁Cold ▁War . ▁The ▁Tr il ater al ▁Commission ▁instead ▁advoc ated ▁a ▁foreign ▁policy ▁focused ▁on ▁aid ▁to ▁Third ▁World ▁countries ▁and ▁improved ▁relations ▁with ▁Western ▁Europe ▁and ▁Japan . ▁The ▁central ▁t ension ▁of ▁the ▁Carter ▁administration ' s ▁foreign ▁policy ▁was ▁reflected ▁in ▁the ▁division ▁between ▁Secretary ▁of ▁State ▁C yrus ▁V ance , ▁who ▁sought ▁improved ▁relations ▁with ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁and ▁the ▁Third ▁World , ▁and ▁National ▁Security ▁Ad vis er ▁Z b ign iew ▁Br ze zin ski , ▁who ▁fav ored ▁confront ation ▁with ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁on ▁a ▁range ▁of ▁issues . ▁ ▁Human