Reagan ended the Cold War and built a relationship that allowed America and Russia to work together to build the ISS.

Actually , Gorbachev ended the cold war and Clinton got the Russians to work with the americans (much to many's chagrin, but knowing what happened later, perhaps with more relief, now).

But nevertheless, the Space Station was a concept as old as SF, going back to Konstantin Tsiolkovsky. And here's a history of the various concepts.

The thing about the Soyuz spacecraft is that it is simple and meant for taking 3 persons to a space station and stay there for a long time; nothing more. It doesn't need wings nor wheels and does a very good job sending cosmonauts into space.

Raoul