There were many similarities and differences in the Foreign policies of the U.S. and U.S.S.R. during the Cold War. For example, they were the only two nuclear powers at the time, which made them the other as their enemy that they want to see fall. Nuclear realities made forced them to live with each other. They avoided directly attacking each other. Second, both nations used developing countries for proxy fighting. Both nations gave military weapons and training, as well as money to advance their own interests and prevent gains by their opponent. Perhaps the great similarity was their mutual failure to understand their opponent. Not all Communists acted as a unified block, especially the Soviets and the Chinese. The United States and the West
