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The Collapse of the World: A Geopolitical Chronicle of Twilight: 2000

The Road to War
1989-1991: The End of the Cold War and the Illusion of Peace
On November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall collapses, marking the symbolic end of Europe's division and heralding the downfall of the Eastern Bloc. This event triggers a series of geopolitical upheavals. Relations between Washington and Moscow quickly improve, symbolized by the Malta Summit, where the leaders of the two superpowers announce the end of the Cold War.

On August 2, 1990, Saddam Hussein's Iraq invades Kuwait, triggering the Gulf War. This crisis highlights the military supremacy of the United States, which leads an international coalition to repel Iraqi forces.

On October 3, 1990, Germany is officially reunified after more than 40 years of division between East and West. This event reinforces the idea of a new world order dominated by the West and accelerates the collapse of the Soviet Union.

On February 28, 1991, the Gulf War officially ends with the liberation of Kuwait by the U.S.-led coalition. The swift victory of Western forces against the Iraqi army strengthens the perception of unquestionable American military supremacy.

On June 12, 1991, Boris Yeltsin is elected President of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic in Russia's first democratic presidential elections. This event marks the beginning of the end for the USSR, as Russia gradually asserts its independence from the Soviet central government.

On July 1, 1991, the Warsaw Pact is officially dissolved. This military alliance, created in response to NATO, disappears permanently, confirming the collapse of the Eastern Bloc and leaving Russia isolated in the face of an expanding Western alliance.

On July 31, 1991, the United States and the Soviet Union sign the START I (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty), a historic agreement aimed at significantly reducing the strategic nuclear arsenals of both superpowers. This event represents a hope for nuclear de-escalation, although geopolitical tensions persist.

Two years later, the Soviet Union officially ceases to exist, leaving behind an economically devastated Russia under Boris Yeltsin’s leadership. For a time, the United States dominates the world unchallenged, and NATO gradually expands eastward.

1992-1999: NATO Expansion and Rising Tensions
On January 3, 1993, the United States and Russia sign START II, aimed at further reducing strategic nuclear arsenals and banning the use of multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs) on ballistic missiles. This treaty, though significant, is never fully ratified by Russia due to increasing tensions with the West.

2022-2025: War in Ukraine and Strategic Uncertainties
On February 24, 2022, Russia invades Ukraine, triggering an immediate response from the United States and its allies. Washington imposes unprecedented economic sanctions, cutting Moscow off from the international financial system and providing massive military aid to Kyiv. This war leads to a reconfiguration of global alliances, with NATO strengthening and Russia attempting to draw closer to China to counterbalance its Western isolation.

In 2024, Donald Trump's re-election brings additional uncertainty. While Trump had taken a conciliatory tone toward Putin during his first term, his foreign policy had nonetheless maintained a hard line against Moscow. As a result, the Kremlin remains cautious about future U.S. decisions regarding the Ukrainian conflict and bilateral relations.

Amid growing tensions with Russia and persistent threats against the Baltic states, NATO decides in 2025 to significantly reinforce its military presence in Eastern Europe. U.S. and British armored units are deployed in Poland, while French, German, and Canadian contingents take positions in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. This buildup is accompanied by the implementation of an advanced missile defense shield and joint military exercises aimed at deterring any potential incursion. Russia denounces this deployment as a provocation and, in response, announces a massive troop redeployment along its western border, fueling an atmosphere of confrontation unseen since the end of the Cold War.

In March 2025, Moscow openly accuses the United States and NATO of being directly involved in covert military operations in Ukraine. According to the Kremlin, advanced combat drones and Western stealth aircraft have carried out several targeted strikes against pro-Russian forces in the east of the country. The Russian Ministry of Defense claims to have evidence, including missile fragments and intercepted communications, proving the involvement of Western military technology. Washington and Brussels categorically deny these allegations, asserting that their support for Kyiv remains limited to material aid and intelligence. However, the intensification of the fighting and the escalating rhetoric between Moscow and NATO reignite fears of a direct confrontation between Russia and the Alliance, plunging Europe into a new phase of strategic uncertainty.