The deal certainly was what it was.
But of course Kennedy’s aim was to defuse conflict not to go to war.
His father Joe Kennedy was an Isolationist so that aspect of the Kennedy legacy came into play and maybe it was better in the end.
The Soviet Union was economically weak could not sustain its defenses in the face of Reagan’s buildup in the 1980’s.
The deal itself made sense.
My only issue with it was that it was secret from the American people—so Kennedy could claim victory—and the gushing mass media played along with the scam.