This chapter recounts the final years of the USSR, from the collapse of the Soviet position in Eastern Europe in 1989 to the collapse of the Soviet Union itself in 1991. It focuses particularly on Gorbachev's failed bid to create a common European space that would include the USSR. His effort to keep East Germany out of NATO was a significant part of that vision, but it was outrightly rejected by President George H.W. Bush, who feared that if Gorbachev had his way, Germany would leave NATO, undermining the alliance and, with it, the rationale for the American presence in Europe. The chapter explores the nature of the reassurances given to Gorbachev in February 1990, concluding that there was never a "deal" not to enlarge NATO, at least not as far as Gorbachev knew. Facing economic collapse and political chaos at home, the Soviet leader had to accept the terms he was given. This did not save the Soviet project. Gorbachev's vision for the future fell flat, leaving his dreams of global leadership largely unfulfilled.

As communism collapsed, disagreements emerged that endured until 2014. Russia struggled unsuccessfully to keep Ukraine in a new Moscow-led union and disagreement over the Black Sea Fleet and its base in Crimea proved unresolvable. Meanwhile, Russia and the West advanced different visions for post-Cold War Europe. Pressured by both Russia and the US, Ukraine agreed to surrender its nuclear weapons in return for security assurances. Already in 1993, the prospect that a “red–brown” coalition of communists and fascists would come to power in Moscow prompted many countries to look for ways to guard against Russian reassertion, exacerbating the security dilemma.

As communism collapsed, disagreements emerged that endured until 2014. Russia struggled unsuccessfully to keep Ukraine in a new Moscow-led union and disagreement over the Black Sea Fleet and its base in Crimea proved unresolvable. Meanwhile, Russia and the West advanced different visions for post-Cold War Europe. Pressured by both Russia and the United States, Ukraine agreed to surrender its nuclear weapons in return for security assurances. Already in 1993, the prospect that a “red-brown” coalition of communists and fascists would come to power in Moscow prompted many countries to look for ways to guard against Russian reassertion, exacerbating the security dilemma.