“I targeted the Bering Strait because I wanted to show that the Soviet Union and the United States were only two point seven miles apart. That we were neighbors in the world. And the idea was that I would try to swim across the Bering Strait as a way to open the border for the first time between the United States and the Soviet Union.” -Lynne Cox
After Cox's historic swim from the United States to the Soviet Union, many changes were at hand. For example, air travel was beginning between Siberia and the state of Alaska again. However, even greater than this was the signing of the INF Treaty by President Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Gorbachev in the White House just a few months later. This treaty called for an end and reduction of immediate-range missiles and related launchers. At the signing of this, a toast was raised to Lynne Cox's historic Bering Strait swim as it symbolized a closeness between Soviets and Americans.
In 1989 came the end of the Cold War and in 1991 the end of the Soviet Union. After this, former Soviet citizens were experiencing new liberties, including elections and freedom of speech. In addition to this, the end to the war allowed for negotiations between Russia and the United States in order to prevent future violence. As of now, communication is open between the two countries in order to strive for a "full and constructive relationship" for the benefit of all (U.S. Department of State, "U.S. Relations With Russia").