How did the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)influence the Cold War's outcome? It forced the Soviet Union to increase spending on its own missile defense systems. B It immediately neutralized all Soviet nuclear weapons. C It caused Western European nations to withdraw from NATO. D It led to the United States abandoning nuclear arms control agreements.

## Step 1<br />The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), also known as "Star Wars", was a program initiated by the United States during the Cold War. The primary objective of this program was to develop a sophisticated anti-ballistic missile system in order to prevent missile attacks from other countries, particularly the Soviet Union.<br /><br />## Step 2<br />The SDI had a significant impact on the Soviet Union's economy. The Soviet Union was forced to increase its spending on its own missile defense systems in order to keep up with the United States. This was a significant strain on the Soviet Union's economy, which was already struggling due to other economic issues.<br /><br />## Step 3<br />The SDI did not neutralize all Soviet nuclear weapons immediately. The development and implementation of such a system would have taken many years, and the Soviet Union still had a significant number of nuclear weapons during this time.<br /><br />## Step 4<br />The SDI did not cause Western European nations to withdraw from NATO. In fact, the SDI was seen as a deterrent to the Soviet Union, which could have encouraged Western European nations to remain in NATO.<br /><br />## Step 5<br />The SDI did not lead to the United States abandoning nuclear arms control agreements. The SDI was a defensive measure, not an offensive one, and the United States continued to participate in nuclear arms control agreements.