"The collapse of the Soviet Union was the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century, primarily because of the destruction of the existing system of the bipolar world. Many had hoped that the end of the "cold war" will get rid of large military expenditures and the released resources will be directed to the solution of global problems - food, energy, environmental and others. However, these expectations were not met. In place of the "cold war" has come an even bitter struggle."
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